Life Goes On - REPOST
by Sandra Strickland
Summary: Sequel to Reciprocated Love. A glimpse to Helga's life as a married woman. Does happiness last forever? Not a HxA story. M rate is back. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**LIFE GOES ON**

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 **LEAVE IT THERE**

. . .

* * *

 _AN. Alright. Here I am. Posting this again. I admit it was a mistake to remove it but how could I know it beforehand, right? I confess that I was planning on taking away Reciprocated Love too, since I wanted to take it out of HA universe but truth is that I haven't taken the time to do it. So much work to put together the first four chapters as an introduction for starters. So here it is._ _  
_

 _*For those who don't know what this mean, I have published this story in here about two years ago and then I removed it. Why I don't know, I just woke up one day knowing I should erase it, and I did. Now I mending my mistake. It's_ _ **Reciprocated Love** 's __sequel ._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 _. . ._

He left his phone on the table located in the farthest corner of his office and turned around with decision. It was about time. He needed to start at some moment. As always, the first step was the hardest and today was gonna be the first time he'd left it unattended, if only for the rest of the evening. He'd promised her he'd do it so there was no reverse. A soft buzz went off at the corner table and he cringed but didn't go back. His mind was made up.

The dark haired man sighed; and heading to the opposite wall, he opened the blinds. He saw Robbie in the yard playing with Sophie…. Another buzz. He closed his eyes just for a moment, then opened them again. The smile on his son's face was bright. James Brighton-Lewis smiled. There was no doubt he was so his mother's son. He was barely six and was already in love. He hummed to himself.

How long would it take from him to realize Sophie wasn't interested in him like that?

A buzzing sound again.

How long it'd take for him to start ignoring them? He cursed.

Sophie was sixteen and was George's -his bodyguard- daughter. She used to come over to stay with her father on weekends. She was a nice girl who enjoyed to play with Robbie. His son was on cloud nine when he was with her and his devotion towards her amused the teenager.

They waved as when they passed by the window riding Robbie's electric ride-on Ferrari. He waved back and then his sight focused behind them. George was calling his attention. James nodded to let him know he hadn't forgotten they'd meet at six at his office.

James sighed again and went back to his desk, willing to end once and for all the letter adressed to the only one person to whom he couldn't force to obey him.

He took his seat and re read the three paragraphs written down so far. It was filled with figures and percentages; real and estimated growing; the most important details were highlighted. His father was a very smart man and an expert legislator, but catching up with his own stuff bored him to death.

James took his pen and continued writing.

 _=That was the analysis of the conglomerate's financial report in short._

 _Now, about you:_

 _One. Don't go all angry on them. If you'r not up to the last decisions it's only your fault._

 _Two. Admit before them you know they are doing a good job but you need to let them know you're now observant and that you're the boss._

 _Three. Not a word about I'll be assuming the Presidency next year. They'll know on due time"_

 _Four. Be sure they're no touching DPB & L yet._

 _Five. Do not…_

James squeezed his brains but nothing came to his help. He knew there was something missing. Something that was no vital, and yet…

Why was he trying to ignore it so hard?

He leaned back in his heavy chair and inhaled deeply.

The last day was always the worst. The last hours were almost torture; the last moments, agonizing. He was minutes away from losing his patience and getting angry. He groaned.

As his hands slid along his legs, ironing the fabric of his pants to ease his need, he wondered if she felt the same way. He knew that once doubts started to arise he'd swear she didn't miss them the way they missed her. He hated to think she was with him; the way he gloated about that behind her back got him insane. He grunted when a new buzz went off on his phone. His breath hitched and he closed his eyes. James cursed him.

Then he saw her. Close. Her intense blue eyes fixed on his… then they inched down to his lips. Her sinful red lips becoming a smirk. He adjusted himself. He knew she also missed them; missed him. Then he remembered that when she was back she always proved him just how much she'd longed for him when she was away. James slid down in his chair as she pushed him back and went downtown…

. . .

* * *

 **I don't own Hey Arnold!**

 **I don't own Ferrari.**

 **But I own the plot and the OC.**

 **Just a short prelude.**

 **This story takes almost two years after the events described in Reciprocated Love chapter 52 and almost nine years from the original plot.**

 **Since I'm posting it for second time I think I'll be able to update every few days. The story needs some edition and that'd be taking my time, mainly the last chapters but I assure you it won't change a little bit; it's the same fic that I wrote a couple of years ago. It has seven chapters, about 30k words and the rating will change to MA from now on.**

 **Publicated on September 30, 2013.**

 **Re published. September 21, 2015.**


	2. Chapter 2

**LIFE GOES ON**

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 **DAYDREAMING**

* * *

 **A/N. This is a M rated chapter. I've warned you all. Given that we are talking about a couple that has been married for almost nine years we're gonna try to keep things real in here.**

 **Also wanted to say that longer chapters are coming next. Only these two are too short.**

 **Now we can go on but not before thanking Jose Ramiro for his review. Mil gracias, amigo. ;)**

* * *

Then he saw her. On top of him. Her intense blue eyes fixed on his… and then they inching down to his lips. Her sinful red lips becoming a smirk. He adjusted himself. He should stop letting those ugly thoughts pollute his mind. He knew her; he know she also missed them, missed him. Then he remembered that when she was back she always proved him just how much she'd longed for him when she was away.

James held his breath and slid down in his chair as she pushed him back and went downtown. In a rush, she undid his belt and his pants, then slowed down when grasped the elastic band of his boxers to play with it, teasing him, torturing him. He cursed. He should stop wearing boxers when she came back from her trips. She pushed them down with such deliberate slowness…. His heartbeat raced. His breath stopped. His back arched when she got settled between his legs. Then she let out a soft hum.

" _You sure you want this?"_ He complained, pushing his hips upward _"Alright, alright…. Geez! …"_ her voice held amusement. He felt her tongue touching his tip, - he jerked, his lungs emptied - then circling around his head, and then slowly, bit by bit, her wet mouth covered him… moistening him, teasing him. His abdomen tightened, then she pulled back. He groaned, closing his eyes and leaning back, sliding further into the seat. Blissfulness engulfed him when she repeated the motion with mastery. He shook again, his whole body reacted: his thighs tensed up, pushing his hips forward. He drew out his hand to touch her head, to tangle his fingers in her hair as she sent him to a burning heaven and kept him up there, ablaze, until she retracted again. He moaned. She laughed softly before complying again, spoiling him. James threw his head back and moaned, letting her pretty mouth reigning over his entire being...

" _You know why I put this thick lipstick on, huh?"_ her lips moved along his solid virility; her tongue slid along his inflamed vein "… _To get you dirty, to get you red…"_ he wheezed _"You're red all over, you know? … and I know just how much you like it…"_ She rubbed her full lips on him; naughtily _"Because you like it, right?"_

" _Helga!"_ he rumbled, reaching for her hair.

She chuckled again before swallowing him, whole. He growled. Helga retracted but didn't let go. She came back and wrapped him again, moving up and down, increased the rhythm, driving him crazy. Every rational thought left his mind; he was reduced to instincts, and the only one thing he could perceive was Helga, _his wife_. Her thick mane tangled in his fingers; her nape cupped against the hollow of his hand; her small hands gripping his hips; her hot, wet mouth devouring him, burning him. His breath hitched; his whole body tensing up to the breaking point; he guided her to where he needed her the most. Her hand squeezed his balls and he gasped. The hand in the back of her head took the risk and pushedr. _God!_ She didn't complain, in fact she let him have the control.

"I'm coming!" he let out with a puff. She shook her head.

Her hand left his balls and almost immediately he felt cold. Her mouth also left his dick. He gasped again and an uncontrollable shudder shook him to the core.

"Helga…?" he looked for her face when she came up, disheveled. Her face was red stained. She had a devious smile in her face. "Honey...?"

James reached for her then, still gasping, he touched her intensely red swollen lips and attracted her to kiss her but she draw back.

" _Oh, love, you're such a dupe…"_ she laughed softly _"You're daydreaming... again… and you didn't close the door… again…"_ She puffed, shaking her head, pretending annoyance. Then she blew out a kiss that reached him down there. _"Someone's coming."_

He blinked and straightened in his seat, then exhaled and breathed deeply several times as he adjusted his clothes and passed a hand over his hair just before a soft knock in the door failed to startle him.

He breathed deeply again and closed his eyes…

"Come in"

. . .

* * *

 **I don't own Hey Arnold!**

 **P. October 5, 2013**

 **Re published. Septiembre 23, 2015**


	3. Chapter 3

**LIFE GOES ON**

 **CHAPTER THREE**

 **CATCHING UP**

* * *

. . .

" _Oh, love, you're such a dupe…"_ she laughed softly _"You're daydreaming again… and you didn't close the door… again…"_ She puffed, shaking her head, pretending annoyance. Then she blew out a kiss that reached him down there. _"Someone's coming."_

He blinked and straightened in his seat, then exhaled and breathed deeply several times as he arranged his clothes and quickly passed a hand through his hair, just before a soft knock failed to startle him.

He breathed deeply again and closed his eyes…

"Come in"

. . .

* * *

. . .

The door opened and James saw a beamish Anna, the housekeeper, stepping aside as she let someone else come into view: Andrea. He frowned.

"Andrea…?" he paused "I didn't know you were coming."

"Really? I sent you a message when I left the office…" she smirked, walking in and leaving her laptop case on a table, then taking it and a folder out and coming up to his desk.

James nodded. He shifted in his seat, uneasily. He wasn't in conditions to show manners right now but fortunately Andrea wasn't the kind of friend who needed them.

"I must confess I had a slight hope that you were taking your vacations seriously…" she added looking around and fixing her sight on the amount papers spread on his desk.

"And that's exactly why you came…" he retorted, sarcastic.

"No, I came because Pat told me you weren't" she ended, still looking at the papers.

"Bah, this is nothing, just private stuff." He replied, taking his documents aside and motioning for her to take the seat in front of him.

"Good, because there are some things I need you to see. You don't mind, right?" she asked as she placed her laptop on the desk and the file to her left. A buzz went off again in the corner of his room.

James shook his head, absentminded. Then looked up and smiled to her.

"No, not at all. Get yourself comfortable… just give me a minute to finish this."

He took the letter he had been writing and finished it. He just needed to remind his father he shouldn't let that his animadversion to one of the older members of the Board and a fellow shareholder clouded his mind. His father already knew it but it was not a waste of ink to write it down again.

He folded then the paper and put it in a personalized envelope, then leaned to open a lower drawer to get his seal and the sealing wax and then chuckled at Andrea's amused expression.

"What?"

"I just… I wonder about Helga reaction's the first time she saw your… mmm… old fashioned way to…"

"She loved it" he interrupted her, raising his brows "Of course she laughed at first, saying she didn't know Dumbledore remembered me in his will but then she got one for herself the very next day."

"Really?" Andrea chortled "And she uses it…?"

He nodded.

"Of course she uses it. With her stuff... you know… correspondence with her father and people in her firm…"

"Talking about people in her firm… How's Gerald doing? Is he married?"

"Nope. Still single…"

"Happily single…?"

"Happily single he looks…" he shrugged "He's still young"

"Yeah, _too_ young…" Andrea nodded and then sighed. "How old is he, by the way?"

James shrugged again, picking up the rest of papers and walking up to his filing cabinet. Another buzz was heard. Where they spacing out or he was starting to ignore them?

"Thirty, I think. He's Helga's age. They went to school together"

"Thirty…' Andrea spoke with dreamy voice. "I remember when I was thirty. Seems to be another life…"

"Oh, come on." James smiled as he took his seat again. "You're not that old."

"I'm gonna turn fifty next year, James" She looked at him in the eye " _Fifty_ "

"It's not the end of the world…"

"I was told the same when I turned forty"

"And the world didn't end, right?"

"Well, not but… I got divorced."

"Right …" James sighed. It was always painful to see she hadn't gotten over her divorce yet; and sometimes he didn't know how to help. Another buzz went off "Divorce has nothing to do with age. Unfortunately, that was a matter of…"

She interrupted him.

"Well, I didn't come here to talk about my divorce. We have more important business to attend."

"Andrea, I want you to know…"

"Oh, I know, James. I know you care…" she sighed "And you know I'm not the kind of person who brings this kind of things out of the blue. I don't know what happened to me, but seeing Robbie in the yard brought to my mind…." she shook her head suddenly and turned to the papers "Well, I came here bearing both, good and bad news…"

James sighed; deciding that the matter would be left aside for a while.

"Bad news?" he asked, raising his brows and looking at her pointedly "I have been absent only for two days."

"Well, I _didn't_ come bearing bad news actually but I just hung up with Bill. He says he's been calling you but seems that you're not answering your phone." She informed "He realized he failed to include the Rose's file expenses in next trimester budget and…" she stopped suddenly and turned to see him with a frown. "Why you're not answering your phone?"

"Next trimester budget is still on Paula's desk. I thought Bill knew that" He said, looking at the papers she placed in front of him.

"James?"

"What?" He exhaled, calmly, raising his sight "It's nothing special. I'm on vacation. I'm supposed taking care of the kids and I also need time to myself…"

"Mr. President is still calling you?"

"Yeah" he nodded "… but that's not the reason. I've said all I have to say about the actual situation. I don't know why people need advisers when they don't follow their indications; they go and make things their way…. They thought it'd be easy, a piece of cake, to follow their old and obsolete precepts. Now, look what is happening. There is only one possible solution and they still don't give. Negotiation."

He stopped to exhale. The actual situation had him drained. But then he remembered that it wasn't his problem after all. He wasn't a congressman or a senator. And campaigns weren't his problem anymore.

"I know how you feel" Andrea exhaled, leaning back in her chair "Next elections will be a pain in the ass. I'm glad we worked in your new contract on time and fortunately we'll be settled here in DC. You're a senior consultant now and you're not traveling anymore. You advise the Counsel and it's the Counsel who marks the guidelines. If someone needs your individual advice all they need to do is contact you through the Party, and that's it."

"Yeah, that's it. Apparently simple but it seems that is hard to follow in the practice…"

"How hard is to fix an appointment?"

"Some people still don't take it" he exhaled, not wanting to talk more about that.

"Then they are wrong. They got to take it, like it or not"

"I know. Andrea, don't get angry. We both are in the same team, aren't we?" he asked "That's why I'm not attending the phone. For starters, I'm on vacations…"

"… and?"

"Well, and Pat's on charge of the office…"

"And what about Mr. President…"

"He already knows. But let's be honest here, you know I'm a strategist and …"

"… and since Mr. President is going to leave the White House in eight months…"

James nodded. "Exactly, my help is not that required anymore"

Andrea looked at him with a frown.

"But James, have you thought that he's used to having you around"

"Yes, I know. But he also knows that he needs to stop looking back to hear my opinion. We've already worked on that. The rest of his period is already planned out, and as I said before, if he ever needs me, I'll be at a call distance, but as long as us both got used to this new arrangement, my phone will be left aside"

She nodded "When do you end officially your vacations?"

"In two weeks…" he saw the frown perched in her forehead "Pat knows how to reach me. Besides, I'm not going out, so I'll be around."

"Please, excuse my intromission, but what about Helga? She's not here half of the time. How does she manage to reach you?"

"She calls to the house whenever she needs. It was her idea, after all."

Andrea nodded

"Seems that you two have everything well planned…" she mumbled to herself with a hint of sarcasm as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose "Well, we need to start with this…"

Yeah, they needed to start with this. And ' _this_ ' was the update to the initial diagnosis of their position in the country. He found weird that people still wanted to hear the old discourse from the republican candidates. How the same people who were free spirited and proclaimed love and peace decades ago became conservative in their old age. The public opinion seemed to be more divided than ever and candidates still were willing to promise whatever that get them votes, even if it was impossible to get _… bah_ , what was the point?

He started listing objectives and actions as Andrea took note. Why the update arrived this early he didn't know. Probably he should thank Andrea and her contacts.

James sighed, blessing that she chose to come today. It was work that needed to be done. The fact that they were working in his house meant that they could concentrate without interruptions. The office was insufferably crowded with all the temporarily hired staff and the bunch of new interns.

"By the way, I heard of the success in the negotiations with the Canadians. Congratulations! Helga must be exultant."

"Did they make it public already?" James frowned, stopping mid-sentence.

She nodded, rearranging her glasses

"I heard it in the noon news"

James scoffed, seemed that Price had urgency for gloating about it.

"How long did they take?" Andrea looked at him. "I mean the negotiations. How long has Helga been absent this time?"

"The conditions of the negotiation have kept them busy for months..." He exhaled "But this excursion took almost two weeks"

 _Two long weeks_.

Andrea whistled

"That's a lot of time…"

"You tell me!"

He took the document with the numbers in Florida to analyze it when she interrupted him again.

"James, I know it's not my business but…" James raised his sight when she didn't go on "Two weeks it's indeed a lot of time." She exhaled "How do you manage?"

He shrugged

"We keep going. We always do."

"Keep going doesn't sound the best way to deal with it."

"I know" he puffed "But I guess it is the way we got used from the beginning"

"But Helga shouldn't leave you for so long."

"It's her work, Andrea"

"I know it's her work, but I still think she shouldn't leave you for that long. Just my opinion, but I think you should ask her..."

James chortled. "Had your husband asked you to quit your job, have you…?"

"I'd have listened to him."

James scoffed. "Oh, come on. You'd have listened to him. Really?"

"I mean. Now I think I should've listened to him even when back then I know I didn't want to hear a single word about him trying to control me or my job"

James shrugged.

"Well, maybe the difference here is that I don't ask Helga to quit it" he explained "I know it's her work and I'm aware of the big responsibility she has on her shoulders. I also know very well she's passionate about everything, let alone about something as big as her job. From the beginning we know this negotiation could become problematic."

"Well, you're right about that. I don't want to think what would happen if they failed…"

James held his breath. He didn't want to think what'd happen if they failed either. Andrea didn't have to know that they left the negotiations' table a couple of times due to deep disagreements. The negotiation had been a challenge. His attention came back to the present at her next words.

"…but mainly knowing she's with him. I don't know, _fuck_ … I just… I don't know why I hate that guy so much …"

James grunted inwardly, as he tried to control the anger that was starting to run through his veins.

"What guy?" he asked, feigning nonchalance, knowing very well who she meant.

"That guy, Helga's boss… Daniel Price"

"Really?" he barely raised his brows. "Why?"

"I don't know… Come on; don't tell me you don't hate him..." James hoped sincerely that his real feelings for the guy weren't obvious. "I mean, he's so cocky, so proud, he thinks he's the best damn thing around…." He puffed "Oh, I don't know why, I just hate the guy guts"

"You know that a lot of people think exactly the same about me" James flashed a bright smile.

"But you're nothing like him!" Andrea responded to his smile with other of her own. "You're not cocky… you are nice and gentle…"

James' smile turned a smirk.

"Oh, come on. I remember when we started to work together you told me you never thought I'd be cool. You told me that you thought I was cocky and proud and that your husband considered me a bastard and that he hated that you worked with me" he looked at her with a brow raised.

"Well, we didn't know you back then…" Andrea rushed, trying to make up for something said long ago and that she probably didn't even remember.

"Well, maybe you don't know Daniel Price the same way you didn't know me back then"

"Well, maybe… but people never talk badly about you the way I've heard they talk about him"

"Really?" James raised his brows again, interested. "What do people have to say about Daniel?"

"Is he your friend?" she asked, cautiously.

He shook his head "No" he uttered. ' _Not at all'_ he thought

She seemed to think twice before go on.

"Well, people say he's mean, unpleasant…" she paused "he has one of the worst reputations I've heard." She turned up "You know he was this close to divorce last year…"

James bored a hole with his sight in his friend's eyes. There was something she didn't dare to tell him.

"And…?"

She blinked "I don't know. It's just that… it's just that I don't like him and that's all"

"You sure that's all?" she nodded. He drew in deeply. "Andrea, have you heard something about him and Helga?"

Andrea blinked nervously then exhaled slowly.

"No…" she paused to take air "I've heard about him and a few girls. But I've never heard something about him and Helga, to be true. But they work together and being aware of his reputation…"

"Do you think Helga is the kind of girl who might fall in his clutches?"

"No, of course not." She exhaled; James didn't know if it was because she felt relieved of remorseful for bringing up the subject. "I know how much Helga loves you; I've seen it, but that man is dangerous. I think you should be careful"

"Why?" he asked her "Have you heard something? … if you know anything Andrea, I'd like you to be honest…"

"No…" she vacillated, but then she seemed resolute "…but you know… I… my friend, Elsa works in Independence Avenue too, and she says… she says he doesn't hide he's interested in her…. And given the kind of man he is, I think you should do something."

"Do what? Asking her to quit her job?"

"No… of course no…" she exhaled "I don't know... I don't know even why I'm telling this… it's just l wouldn't like to see you two having problems"

"Helga and I don't have problems. We are fine."

"Maybe you're fine as you say, but you two spent a lot of time far away from each other"

"Not anymore. I don't travel that much."

"But she does…a lot"

"That's just an impression. She doesn't travel as much as you people think. She'd been in town for almost three weeks before this last trip to Canada…" he started, seeing that she vacillated, he added "…which I admit has been long, but I'm aware of the kind of work she's doing and I understand…"

"And the kids also understand?" she asked, skeptic.

"Are you questioning her choice, Andrea?

"No… well… maybe I am. If I was married to you and had those two beautiful kids I'm sure as hell I'd change something."

James scoffed again

"Really?" he shook his head. "Andrea, I remember the first years we worked together. It seemed that you didn't want to be in your house at all. You were first to arrive to the office and the last that went home at night. The one who always accompanied me to every trip…"

"Well, that was when? Thirteen, fourteen years ago?" he shrugged "If I could go back I'd do it different"

"I'm sure you would" he admitted, knowing how much she regretted now leaving her husband aside back then "But you think that way _now_. Back then working hard and gaining experience and reputation was very important to you… I think we should let Helga reach that understanding on her own. We… I'm not going to force her to quit what she loves to do. Negotiation tables are a very important part of her life. I can't be so selfish to ask her to leave everything aside to be with us 24/7. I was also there. I remember when working all around the clock was my reason for living. Then, a given day, I changed my priorities, but Helga is just thirty. Her job means a lot to her. Fortunately, I understand her and when it's possible, like now, I'm here to look after the kids in her absence. Besides, the kids are alright, we have the best team in the world to take care of them and the house."

"Yeah, I've seen... Where did you get that nanny, by the way?" James didn't bother to answer because she went on immediately "How are the kids taking this absence?"

James sighed.

"Well, I think. Of course they miss her. Robbie had been resenting but fortunately Sophie is here now and she keeps him busy."

"And little Lydia, how's she taking it?"

"She's…" James sighed again, and then closed his eyes. "Look, Andrea, I'm not going to lie. Of course it's hard for the kids too and…" he paused, feeling a knot compressing his throat.

"Hey!" Andrea smiled extending her hand to touch his "I'm not bringing this up to make you feel bad, okay? That's my point exactly. You don't need to tell me anything. I know how you feel. That's what I mean. This is a good moment to foresee things. Job is important and temptations are out there, but you two need to work in yourselves _and_ in your family. Time comes and goes and then, when you realize it's already late. Look that's me who's talking. Learn from my experience. I was also there and I regret it now"

James nodded slowly.

"Why are we talking about this? … I mean, don't get me wrong, I know your intentions are the best…"

"Of course they are… you're like my brother, James, I love you and I love that hell girl that is your wife, but I see you making the same mistakes I did and I'd hate not saying a word and then seeing you troubled. Life is hard, world out there is full of heartless people who won't hesitate to hurt you." she paused "Heck, _our office_ is full of girls trying to steal your attention every single day and I see you putting up with that pretty well but _…. Shit!_ Sometimes I wonder if Helga is aware…"

"Of course she's aware" he smiled to himself. _'That's why she goes to the office so often.'_ he thought _._

"Oh, come on, don't start" she chortled, waving her hand in front of her face "We all guess what happens in your office when she's over and you lock the door…" she shook her head. "And let me say that I admire your… shamelessness, but maybe your acting give room then to all those interns who step in the office thinking they could follow in Helga's footsteps, like that stupid girl who was found in your office, naked."

"Oh, please, don't make me think of that…" he grunted. There was indeed a girl who was waiting for him in his office with no clothes on. Fortunately, when he stepped into the room he was accompanied by Pat and Lucy, his secretary.

"Gross! … By the way, what did Helga say when she knew… because she knew, right?"

"Yeah, she knew… at first she began to gibe at me but then she got angry saying I'm a stupid geek-bait who never pays attention to that kind of things, and telling me what she was going to do to the next bitch who dared to mess with Her Property, meaning 'me' _._ Then she became suspicious for a while."

Andrea smiled apparently pleased with his wife reaction. James then asked himself why he was telling her all these things. Maybe he knew they actually needed some kind of help. And Andrea was the only one of his friends who was close to him, close this kind. They had had years to bond. Maybe were only her and Pat whom he considered his real friends in the office.

"… I think you also should do something. It's the same story year after year. It's was fun at the beginning but now I find it plainly annoying…"

"We really need to talk about this?" he asked again, uncomfortable

"Yes, because even when it's weird it's still admirable. Most of the guys think you're an idiot for letting them go…"

"And some of them think that I actually go to bed with them…"

"Well, yeah, but who think that way is the temporary personnel who don't know you at all, and no one really care about what they think…"

"Still, it's not nice to hear them saying every…. Bah!" he exhaled, wearied "Look, there is no point in talking about this…"

"Good, but I really wanted to say that I respect you; you made your point clear from the beginning and stop their advances. I really hope you'll keep that approach forever. I've seen that those girls try really hard. Of course Monica was the stupidest of them!"

"Was her name actually Monica?"

She shrugged

"Everybody called her Monica…" she shook her head "I always wondered how you do to resist the temptation"

James sneered

"You talk about it as if it were something impossible to achieve…"

"Because it is. I always thought my husband wouldn't fall and look! I was oh-so wrong; he fell flat. Then you have Pat, for God's sake, Pat, of all people!

James shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Hey! It's not just a guy thing. We've seen also girls failing"

"Well, yeah, and sometimes with terrible outcomes."

"Yep"

"That's why I warn you about Helga…"

"Look, I trust Helga"

"I know you trust her and I know she trust you, but fidelity is a veil so fragile..."

"Look, Andrea. I think trust…and / or fidelity is a two ways road. And of course is a road full of danger and temptations but losing the way it's as easy for her as it is for me. I trust her because I know she honors what we have, I know she values it; and I am…"

"Why are you faithful, James?" she leaned forward to ask him "Why a man decides to be faithful?"

"Why do you ask me _that_?" he frowned

"Because… I don't know how we got to this point but I'd really, really like to hear what you have to say. Maybe there would never be another chance to ask you again…" she paused. He looked at her with curiosity "Why are you faithful? I assure you I'm never going to repeat it but... _why?"_

James observed her as he thought.

What to answer? … Was there even an answer? A simple answer? … Finally he exhaled, deciding to be sincere.

"I don't know if this is the answer you were looking for… _heck_ … I don't even know if this is an answer at all, but… I think…"

"Just please don't tell me that it is because you love Helga…" she cut him off

"Well, I _do_ love Helga. That's true. But I know about people who claim to love their couples and still have affairs so it mustn't be taken as a truthful principle per se."

"You tell me! Jerry loved me to death…" James smiled sadly. She leaned forward again. "Have you had affairs, James?"

 _Why he felt as if was being interrogated?_ James inhaled deeply. He really felt he had no problem talking about his intimacy with Andrea; she was a rightful friend after all but still…

"No" he answered with simplicity "No since I'm with Helga"

"When did you realize she was the one?" he smirked seeing that she seemed to be enjoying herself being in the inquisitor's position.

"You want me to answer that or that I answer why I'm faithful to her?" he raised his brow, amused.

"Both" she laughed "Why you are not unfaithful… _first_ …" she clicked her tongue.

James laughed. This was the Andrea he knew; smart and clever and a fast thinker. He replayed her question in his mind.

"Right… I think it's because I know what all those other girls have to offer…" he started "…and I'm not interested."

"That's it? You are not interested?"

"That what I feel"

"I'm not sure if I understand…"

"Well, _I'm not sure_ if I can explain it better. It's just that…" he creased his forehead "I think I went out too much. Well, I didn't go out that much, but maybe… I guess I was tired of all that dating. It had been years that it meant nothing. It was always the same; with a few variations, girls were like a pattern, always the same … they may think they are interesting but they are not…. There was not spark, there was no challenge; there was nothing new…" he shrugged again.

"Until you bumped into Helga?"

"Until I bumped into Helga…" he repeated, nodding, and remembering that he had actually bumped into her a long time ago. Of course back then he never thought she'd be the one.

"What's special about her?"

' _What's special about me?'_ the blonde girl with the smeared lips asked from her comfortable seat in the corner of the room, as she winked at him.

"Everything…" he took a breath so deep that tickled his lungs "You don't want to hear the whole story, right?" he laughed seeing Andrea's dreamy expression "I think you've already heard it…"

"Yeah, I heard it once. What surprised me when I first met her was her youth… her spirit… I guess I understood why you fell so hard for her, so fast… she's so different…"

James' mind got lost. It hadn't been that fast, but it was definitively hard. He didn't want to go over his confused feelings back then when she was absent from his life. But he remembered very well when he found her again. He remembered he couldn't believe she wasn't taken. She was beautiful and sparkling and so busy constructing her life, trying here and there to find her place. Dividing her time between poetry sessions, the headquarters of her father company, overcoming a professional tennis player in a Country Club court, or just being a friend… she was a diamond in the rough…

And she wasn't taken…

"…I mean, you two are successful, have a beautiful marriage, two kids and you say she's only thirty…"

"Yep" he nodded, feeling proud "Her birthday was two weeks ago. We celebrate her on Sunday before she left"

"You mean she just turned thirty?" he nodded "What did you buy to her?"

"A set of… you know…" he started, pointing his neck "…necklace and earrings…"

"Diamonds?" she asked, raising a brow.

He shook his head.

"Rubies, actually"

"Rubies…?" she repeated, opening her eyes. Then added "I don't know why I thought Helga wasn't the kind of girl who fancied jewels"

"Then you know her pretty well… but she's a smart girl after all and she needed some red gems. They are beautiful, she loved them."

"So she _needed_ red?"

"Oh, yes" James laughed loudly "She calls it her Red Period. She loves red"

"And you went right to buy her some red stones…"

"Nop" he smirked now "I bought her the stones only because I knew that her actual present… well… our actual present, wouldn't arrive on time"

"Our present?" Andrea raised her sight, curious, then seemed to understand "Oh, your birthday is coming up, right?"

"Yep, next week"

"And what did you buy as shared present, if I may know?"

"We bought a 458."

"Oh, my gosh! I've forgotten you bought a Lamborghini!"

"Huh, no…" James chuckled again "…the 458 it's not a Lamborghini, it's a Ferrari"

"But you said you wanted a yellow Lamborghini…"

"…No," James corrected her again not knowing why women always confused those kinds of things. Well, Helga was the exception. She knew everything about cars "Helga wanted a red Ferrari, I wanted a yellow one"

"And you let her win…" Andrea said sarcastically "… such a gentleman"

"Well, not precisely…"

"What that means?" Andrea frowned

"We took it to the poker table…"

"You bet? You wanted yellow, she wanted red and you took your differences to the poker table?" she almost shouted "That's not gentlemanly at all"

"Hey! It is!" he chortled, amused "Deep down I also wanted red, and deep down she didn't disliked yellow that much, but we just couldn't decide. So I let her chose red"

"And she won!" Andrea shook her head feigning incredulity "What if she hadn't won?"

"She always wins!" James puffed. "Andrea, one thing you should know about Helga is that she always wins. I don't know if she has a pact with the devil or it's something that she learned from her father but she always wins"

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Well, you know it now. Don't go then telling you weren't warned"

"And where is it now, I mean, the Ferrari?"

"The 458? In the garage."

"And how is it? I guess you couldn't wait to take it out."

"Well, when it finally arrived we went out for a roll. I mean the guys, Robbie and me."

"And the poor thing has been parked since then?"

"The poor thing?" He scoffed "…Nice way to call it. Well, I'll tell you … days ago George took it out to go and get some burritos"

"You took it out to buy some burritos?!" She couldn't believe her ears. He smirked.

"Well, George did, not me"

"Boys and their toys. I can't believe you, guys. You are all grown men…"

A buzz went off in the table corner. James blinked because at the same time a there was a knock in the door.

"I'm getting tired of all that buzzing!" Andrea said getting up and walking to the corner.

"Come in" James spoke to the person behind the door.

Anna entered into the chamber.

"Excuse me James…" she started, turning to the corner to look at Andrea "I just wanted to ask if Mrs. Wilson is staying for dinner…"

"I don't know. I guess we'll ask her? Andrea…?" James also turned and found her with a frown in her forehead.

"Huh? No… oh, no… thank you. I have a dinner at my sister's. Her husband's birthday. April's son too." She turned to Anna "Thank you, Anna" her sight went back to the phone.

Anna nodded and turned to him then.

"Right. Dinner's at eight. Everyone's informed. Helga said she'll be on time"

"Alright…" he breathed deeply; feeling finally happy that she'd confirmed "Who else will be here?"

"Only the four of us…, Shawn, George, without girlfriend, and Sophie… oh… and we still don't know if the kids will be with us…" she looked at him hopeful.

"Robbie can join us."

"Right" Anna nodded. "What about little Lydia?"

"Isn't too late for her?" James raised his sight "You know what I think, but you also know her nanny. I wouldn't like to start a war…"

"That's what we thought, but then she makes plans and Helga comes and changes everything"

 _What harm could be done if the little girl stay awake for an hour or two after her bed time._ James exhaled.

"I don't know. That's between you two and Helga." He finally said.

"Again, that's what we thought…" she said and then turned around muttering something about that he was never helpful in those cases.

James shrugged her off and turned to see Andrea who was very silent considering that people used to find amusing his domestic affairs.

"What is it?" he asked, standing up. "Something that needs my immediate attention?"

"Well, five lost calls… a couple of messages from Mr. President, the first one saying you should take it easy and that as same as you, he didn't control the party. The second one is to thank and congratulate Helga…. Hmm… then, as expected, several people asking for appointments or advices… then it's mine… Bill's… Paula's… your mom asking how you are doing… and… three SMS from some DFP…" she paused. Looking at him cautiously "Who's DFP, James?"

James took a deep intake, and fought to control his reactions. Still he couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Did you read them?" he inquired, showing a serenity that was far from real. She nodded, turning her sight to the screen again. "It's nothing, just ignore them." He extended his hand to take the phone.

"Who's DFP, James?" she repeated, refusing to give it "You just can't ignore him. He's saying…"

"Do you believe what he says?" he asked with an angry tone, something he didn't intend to let out, not this easily.

"Who's him?"

"Daniel Fucking Price. That's him"

"Helga's boss? … Why does he write this way to you?" she asked, frowning. "I mean… I don't understand… I know you haven't read them so - how did you know what he says?" she looked at him perplexed "It's not the first time, right?" he tightened his jaw "James… I don't know what's happening here but I think this is serious…"

"Give it to me!" he insisted and she finally handed him his phone. The messages were in a gray bubble each, one under the other, and flashing in the screen.

. . .

" _I don't need her anymore so finally let her go. No more waiting, mate. She'll be at your side within minutes."_

 _._

" _Have you realized that your wife spends more time with me than she does with you?"_

 _. ._

" _At this pace, your next kid would be mine._

 _Enjoy your weekend."_

. . .

* * *

. . .

 **I don't own Hey Arnold!**

 **Dumbledore, Ferrari and Lamborghini are all TM and of course I don't own any of them.**

 **I own the plot and the O C.**

 **It won't be a full of action story where a hero saves a damsel in distress and will not include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence or frantic chases, nobody will suffer life-threatening experiences nor will it end with the public humiliation of an alleged villain.**

 **This is just a story that shows a couple dealing with everyday life after several years of marriage. It also has a lot of OC, but we still see some things about the old PS 118 gang.**

 **I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for being here. Double thanks to Jose Ramiro and to those who follow favorite this or any other of my stories.**

 **Oct 14, 2013. Back to this time, US were suffering a political debacle related to Republicans paralyzing the Federal Resources due to complicated negotiations debating the debt ceiling. I don't know if you remember it. It was what had James and Andrea worrying in this scene.**

 **Re posted. September 26, 2015.**


	4. Chapter 4

**LIFE GOES ON**

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 **EVERY PRECIOUS MOMENT**

* * *

. . .

"Give it to me!" he insisted and she finally handed him his phone. The messages were in a gray bubble each, one under the other, and flashing in the screen.

. . .

" _I don't need her anymore so finally let her go. No more waiting, mate. She'll be at your side within minutes."_

 _._

" _Have you realized that your wife spends more time with me than she does with you?"_

 _._

" _At this pace, your next kid would be mine._

 _Enjoy your weekend."_

 _. . ._

He felt dizzy; his chest heavy; his hands became fists. He closed his eyes and could feel his heart doubling up its beatings. _Fuck! How he hated that his words affected him this way even when he knew the asshole was lying!_ James trusted Helga. Daniel blustered precisely because he got nothing from her. If he did, his mouth would be wide shut.

He raised his sight to find Andrea's baffled sight still on him.

"What's up with this guy? Why he talks to you that way?"

James inhaled slowly trying to show indifference.

"I think you already gave an answer. He's nasty… unpleasant… I think those were your exact words..." He stopped to exhale through his mouth, letting the fumes escape and the chest unburden. If only it were that easy. It was still hard to breathe "I'd add he never stopped being a bully…"

"But why he's bullying you… people don't mess with you… I mean… you're a Brighton-Lewis. Your father was the President of the Commission of Energy. You're a Party's Consultant and an assessor of Mr. President…. How he dare to talk to you that way?"

James laughed light-heartedly, feeling better to some extent. This was all so inane. Coming out from her lips made it look even more childish.

"And he's a Price. _His father_ is the President of the Senate." He shook his head "He's the Sub secretary of Energy" he stopped to chortle "Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds?"

"Is it ridiculous that he's talking about your wife this way?" Andrea didn't give. She was really pissed.

He tried to remain calm.

"He's just…"

"Don't tell me he's just being mean…"

"Well, it's something of the like…" he shrugged "As we stated before, he's a bully."

"And you just take his crap as if nothing?" Andrea shook her head, looking at him with disbelief "Why does he do that?"

James dropped his phone on the desk and took his seat again, exhaling. He had already admitted it to himself. Even when he knew the guy was just messing with him, he got to bother him and he hated it.

"To make me angry…"

"Well, seems to me that he gets his goal…" she puffed "How long has been happening?"

"I don't know…" he shrugged "Months… It all started when they began to work together…"

"Does Helga know?" he shook his head "Why?"

"Because it's something between us."

"Between you two?" she shook her head "… I still don't get it… Why did he choose to bully you out of all people?"

He took air before state. "We have our story. We went to Yale together"

"Is he your friend?" James shook his head widely "Was?"

"No, we were never friends…" he puffed "... quite the opposite. We were kind of rivals… we were in different houses, chose different schools… He went to Engineering, I went to Business…"

Andrea puffed.

"Oh, no… this sounds like old school boys, is that it?" she asked with incredulity "And he's keeping the old ways, right?"

He exhaled, glad that she had understood the real meaning of their old give-and-take. Well, even when in this case there wasn't any reciprocation on his side.

"I guess…. I don't know, probably he expects me countering back with something regarding his wife or… his mom…" he shrugged, forcing a wry smile and leaning back in his chair "… but I just don't think it's funny anymore…"

"But he gets you upset" it was a statement.

Exhaling tiredly again he nodded."I can't help it"

"And Helga doesn't know a thing"

"Not a single word"

"Why?"

He raised his sight to see her

"What is the point?" he uttered, louder than he wanted "What am I gonna do? Going like a crybaby and tell her? Really?" he shook his head "Knowing Helga you know she doesn't gonna stay arms crossed. She'll do something. And then...? Daniel is her friend, her partner- _her boss_ …"

"It will end with you looking like an idiot" she nodded sympathetically.

"More like a fucking moron!" he spat bitterly.

"I get you…" she stood walking to her laptop bag and adding thoughtfully "Still, I think Helga wouldn't like not knowing…" she turned to see him "Have you thought what she'd think when she realize?"

He shook his head, not wanting to think about that. He was about to voice his thoughts when another knock was heard.

Andrea walked to the door, opened it and immediately let out a loud, enthusiastic exclamation. He left his chair and rounded his desk to see that Andrea was holding Lydia up in her arms and was talking to her with soft, tender voice.

" _Oh, my god. Look at those eyes! You're so pretty. You're the prettiest little girl I've seen in my whole life…"_

As usual, Lydia started to talk in response. He smiled. She was as chatty as her mom; she baby-talked all the time since she got eight months. James smiled seeing how attentive she was to Andrea lips movements when he saw behind them the deep frown in her nanny's forehead and grunted inwardly, preparing himself for the confrontation.

The woman inhaled deeply before speak. "You told Anna that Lydia will take dinner with us?" the woman asked with her thick accent.

Here we go again.

James exhaled, and composing his voice he proceeded to tell her what he'd actually said. It was always the same. He always said something that Anna distorted, and then the blonde woman came offended and looking for problems. She was a good woman and loved his children but sometimes she was pretty inflexible. He knew he could never get to change her mind so he always ended up accepting whatever she said. He just couldn't deal with her. That was Helga's specialty. Somewhat she always knew how to fix the two women differences.

The nanny seemed happy with his reply because a self-assertive smile appeared on her face. James knew she was going out to walk right back until find Anna and rub her success in the housekeeper's face. The woman walked up to take Lydia from Andrea's arms.

"Please, leave her with me, Inge" he asked "I'll take care of her"

She turned around, almost offended. "But you are working!"

"Not anymore. I'm going to the courtyard to meet George."

"Right then… but you must know that it's her walking time. She needs to walk. On her own. I don't want to see her in your arms, alright? … You must keep an eye on her all the time…" James nodded, possessing himself in patience "And don't even think to take off her jacket!"

 _That is exactly what was I was about to do…_

"Alright…" James fought back the urge to mimic her as Helga used to do. He smiled to Andrea who looked at him with quizzical eyes. Frowning, she placed the girl down in the carpeted floor where James called her. His beautiful girl was dying for his attention so she rushed towards him as fast as her small legs could allow. He knelt down ready to catch her at the end of her still wobbly walking. Inge seemed pleased and left the room.

"Oh, my god!" Andrea whistled when she was out or earshot "Where did you find her?"

He shrugged, happily embracing the tender form of his babbling baby who looked like a little doll wearing a burgundy jacket over her navy blue dress, polka dot tights and white flowers in her soft blonde hair. He kissed her.

"Dunno… Helga did. She was her nanny."

 _"Dada"_ Lydia said throwing her chubby arms around his neck and hugging him tightly _"Dada"_

"Yep. Dada is here my precious little thing…" he said, mimicking her baby-talking and looking right into her big blue eyes "And mommy also will be here in no time…"

"Mama!" the girl almost shouted letting him go; turning his head around, to the door, expectant. James cringed.

"Baby misses her mommy…" his friend said as she hung her bag from her shoulder and caressed Lydia's cheek. "James, I'm so jealous… she's a precious little thing; she's so beautiful and…. Maybe she's blonde like Helga but she looks just like you… she got your nose and your chin and... well, okay she might have her eyes also... and her lips… but oh my god, look at that smile… that's totally yours!" she punched him in the arm as they left the room and walked down the hall.

"That's exactly what Miriam says…" he pronounced full of pride. They continued to the main door then James put her on her feet once they left the house. Andrea inhaled deeply seeing as the little girl advanced slowly before them on the pathway that led to the lodge. She repeated her counsels.

"You have a beautiful family, James. Please take well care of them…. This past week you should have taken the kids and reach her in Canada"

"You know that I thought so. But then I desisted. Didn't want to press her even more. Helga was under a lot of pressure and didn't need us over there to disturb her."

"Maybe you're right, but still…. at least you should take time for you two … a few days to yourselves…. When was the last time you spent time together…" he hesitated "I mean traveling… alone?"

"I don't know…" he laughed, walking faster because Lydia started to run down the path when she saw Robbie coming from behind George's house and started to call him out "Long ago…" he hesitated "She was pregnant with Robbie"

"That's the last time you two take a vacation?"

"Well, no, now that I think, that's not true. We traveled last summer. We went to a wedding in Hillwood. Two days."

"Edward's wedding?"

"Nop, Rhonda and Thad's… Helga's friends…" he reached the girl but let her alone anyway, just kept her at close distance "Edward got married here in DC, remember?"

She shook his head

"My memory is not the same… you know how it is…" she exhaled "But I guess two days and going to a wedding isn't precisely quality time for you and your wife…"

"All time together is quality time for us, Andrea…"

"Oh, no! Please don't start again. I don't mean that, you silly boy. You men always think hanky-panky is the only way to have quality time…"

"Hey!" he scoffed feeling insulted "I wasn't talking about that" then turned to see her with disbelief "It seems that you don't know me at all…. What I mean is that Helga and I never fight. We're always having good time or making each other laugh…or…" he stopped, frowning "We don't fight…"

"Never?"

He shook his head. He remembered then that Pat used to say that they never fought because they spent a lot of time away from each other; that the day they stayed at home all the time they'll start to fight. His friend always the optimistic…

"No, we never fight…"

"Well, I'm happy to hear that. Keep it that way. Maybe you only need more time for yourselves. You should take a vacation on occasion of your birthday. Take her away from that guy…"

James stomach churned. The hated face of Daniel Price came to his mind again.

"…ask her to slow down for a while and leave the kids a couple of days…"

James smiled seeing George coming out from his house probably because of all the noise caused by the kids, and then, observing as he took Lydia in his arms when the girl reached him… well, when she reached his knees.

Sighing, he thought it could be a good option. He said he'd think about it. It was always hard for them to leave the kids; they never could. Not for vacations at least. The first time Helga couldn't take the plane and they came back to Robbie when it was just him. The second time Robbie fell sick. Then last year Helga was brought to tears only by thinking they'd leave them for a week. His parents came over to stay in the house and keep an eye on them during their absence but still they just couldn't leave.

. . .

Andrea left then. The idea of enjoying a vacation accompanied by his wife only was starting to excite him. He saw Robbie reaching them again, but the kid run off after stealing one of Lydia's shoes. The little girl started to shout at him the same way Helga would if it were her. James grunted, seeing the boy running away with his spoil.

After recovering the shoe, James followed George inside the house and right to his office. George had inhabited the lodge of his estate since the good old days; even during the time when he stopped being his bodyguard and was sent to work with some other people. The lodge had been George's official address for almost ten years, even when it was until last year that he had finally accepted the post as his Security Team Leader.

George was a squad man to the bone and was used to plan everything out, and to have weekly meetings with his superior; a plan that James had no problem to keep up. So they went over the schedules and plans for the next week after George placed Lydia on the couch and James handed her the shoe. He kept an eye on the little girl as struggled with her shoe until she put it on and fastened its Velcro clasp and then turned up to them with a smile in search of their appreciation. After receiving cheers and praises she turned over and slid down the couch.

. . .

It was true that the girl looked a lot like him but she also looked like her mother. Her independent and indomitable temperament was completely hers. The way her lithe movements carried her around the place like a silent little kitten; the way she always found something that entertained her. George knew her well, and his office was arranged in a way that was friendly with her quests.

She also disliked being helped or followed all the time. She didn't need help to take her aliments and she loved to carry her favorite doll and everything she needed in a sac she used to drag behind her and that today was absent.

James saw George smiling as she found a Russian nesting doll in the lower shelf and took it out carefully before taking a seat on the carpet to start playing.

"Matryoshkas?" James raised a brow turning to see his friend. "Really?"

"Amy brought them yesterday… She thought Lydia would like them," he shrugged dismissing him "Besides, your girl needs new toys."

James shook his head, smirking. Lydia didn't _need_ any more toys. She had a room full of them. She had every lowest drawer in the entire house full with plastic colored balls and soft toys since the day she learned to open _and_ empty them of its contents, being them his socks, books, Helga's lingerie or even dangerous stuff. Robbie was never that exploring.

"You are going to spoil her, you know that?"

George laughed loudly and leaned back in his chair.

"Oh, it's me who's going to spoil her?" he shook his head as they turned to see the girl again. She was taking out the third doll; she was delighted.

. . .

They went back to their business. Next week one of the guys would be taking his vacation and George was telling him how he'd manage the absence. It wasn't the big deal after all. He'd be at home most of the time so his personal guard would remain in the house reinforcing the others.

"We also can accept Shawn's word, if necessary. He says he doesn't need extra help to take care of Helga when she's in town. She stays at her office most of the time and you know that place is a fortress…"

James shook his head. Helga has two guards. That wasn't open to discussion. She was the center of his family and he was not going to be a miser and take away one of her escorts.

"Hire someone else if you think you need it. In fact, maybe you should do it at once since we're gonna need more people once Robbie starts going to school anyway…"

Turning to see the girl occupied with the toys, James thought again in his big family. He knew people always questioned his way of living, but it was because people were used to small families. A dad, a mom, some kids and that was it. He never knew that world. At home they were always his father, his mother and the three of them. Then there were their nannies, the butler, the housekeeper, a small army of maids and kitchen maids. Then the bodyguards, the gardeners, teachers…

That was his big family. He never knew another kind. To Helga it was a discovery when she realized they'd share the house with so many people. Fortunately when she moved in, there were only a butler and two maids; and the bodyguards of course but they always had their own space. Soon after that the butler pensioned off and Anna was convinced to leave Hillwood to come and take over the managing of the house where she'd been the queen bee until a few months ago when Inge came to the picture to defy her absolute authority.

James smirked. The two women had come to an agreement but they still had their petty fights. Well, maybe 'petty' wasn't the correct adjective…. However, Helga had warned him to stay out when things seemed to be getting a little too-hot between them both.

. . .

They turned to see Lydia again when the girl let out a shriek, got up and ran towards George. She was holding the smallest of the dolls and was excitedly telling him God knew what, then she came to him and repeated the process as she pointed to the other dolls. He tried to take her up to seat on his lap but the girl refused stubbornly and went back to her playground.

They went back to their business. After some minutes George was closing his sketch and leaning against his chair when the distinctive sound of the gates being open reached them. James straightened expectant. He saw the little girl raising her tender little blonde head in alert.

"Mama…" she mumbled

"Pick up the dolls, honey" he asked her.

Lydia stocked the bottom side of most of them when the engine of the Cayenne was heard and she jumped up forgetting about the entrusted job, then ran to the door

"Mama!"

"Lydia…"

"Let her be, James" George said with a kind smile plastered in his face and stood up to follow her "You should follow her example and stop restraining yourself" he added mockingly before disappearing behind the door.

James exhaled as he stood and walked to pick up the discarded wooden dolls; taking his time to arrange and place them back in their spot at the bottom shelf before straightening and going out. He could hear the excited voice of Robbie welcoming his mother while coming from the backyard and Lydia's shrieks as she also got close.

When he got out he saw Lydia reaching a crouched down Helga who had Robbie wrapped in a one armed hug already. When she reached them the blonde little girl pushed Robbie aside trying to monopolize her mother. Lydia usual nice and easygoing demeanor disappeared in presence of Helga; she then became a ' _possessive and_ _unhappy child'_ in words of Inge. Robbie was older and wiser and let his sister to take the central spot in their mother's attention but Helga hugged them both with an arm each and asked for a group kiss.

As James got close he saw a film of wetness in his wife's eyes before they fixed on him. He inhaled deeply.

"Need some help?" he asked softly. She let out a soft snort and nodded, blinking repeatedly to fight the unshed tears that were quickly reddening her eyes. James took Robbie weight onto him as he helped her to get up "Group kiss?"

They all nodded; Helga's hands gripped his shirt at his sides. He smiled at her gesture before making contact with the lips of the three most precious beings in his life; relishing the contact, delighting in their smell and their warmness, he pulled tighter.

"I love you…" he opened his eyes to see three set of sapphires surrounding him "I'm happy you're back"

"I'm happy I'm back" she replied spiritedly "I missed you guys so much!" she hugged and kissed the kids twice each and they giggled and squirmed; then turned to fix her darkened sight on him, pulling him closer "…and you... you don't have idea how much I _want_ you" she kissed him hungrily, biting his lower lip "You just wait and see..."

"You and your filthy thoughts..." he reprimanded her in low voice, mockingly.

She snorted, playing along

"HA! Good thing you're a saint and no dirty thought has ever reached your mind!" she shook her head, glee in her eyes "You're gonna beg, bucko!"

. . .

* * *

 **I don't own Hey Arnold!**

 **I don't own Porsche Cayenne or any TM mentioned here.**

 **I own only the plot and the OC**

 **Thanks for reading and double /triple thanks to Jose Ramiro.**

 **Posted originally. Oct 31, 2013. Happy Halloween!**

 **Re posted. Oct 5, 2015. Happy Halloween again!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone,**

 **AN. I don't know if anyone here is following** **Rocket to the Moon** **, I wanted to let you know that I didn't forget about the story. Next chapter is getting ready, it's quite long (surprise, I know!) and I tried something different in there: I wrote it in first person. It's kinda difficult. I've never written in first person before and to the moment I realize, I already wrote three paragraphs on the line '** ** _she raised her sight and looked at vista in front of her_** **' instead of '** ** _I raise my sight and look at the vista in front of_** **…' so I have to go back and correct everything. This added that I first write in English –which I don't know that many expressions so I have to go surf and do some research, which also take its time), that I have somewhat spoiled husband and kids, a demanding job, am taking a course that takes me eight business hours per week, and a large house that is resenting I don't dedicate enough time to clean it anymore, make that my free time (or writing time) is limited and makes me feel guilty if I use it to write.**

 **Anyway, thank you for allowing this relief. This chapter had a quick revision, but I'll try to come and so a better job at editing later.**

 **Also wanted to comment that the first time around I posted this we had recently opened a** **forum** **in here. It's still there, and even though it still receives visits there are just a few commentaries. I'd like to reactivate it if possible, so I'll start with Trivia. I'll post a new question and if someone else wants to go read and participate I'll leave the link at the end of the chapter.**

 **It's called 'Welcome to Hillwood' and appears under Cartoons and then Hey Arnold!**

 **Everyone is welcome. We really hope you want to participate and we'll be so happy to hear everything you want to say, mainly those who haven't been there before.**

 **Thanks for being here and**

 **Let's go to the reading. :D**

. . .

* * *

 **LIFE GOES ON**

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

 **LIVE, LIFE, LIVING**

* * *

. . .

"… _dad says you're a hero"_

Helga smiled to her image on the mirror.

She? A hero? She puffed. She only had a boring job; well, one where she could bring out her inner bitch, that was it. To dreamers and idealists there you have her husband….

Should she tell Robbie when his dad dreamed of modernizing the party?

"Well, I don't know… but I assure you I am not the kind of hero who wears tights and a mask…" she chuckled imagining her husband wearing tights and a close-fitting suit with an elephant logo on his chest and the American colors in a cape. She laughed harder, but then hummed. On second thoughts… maybe that way James had gotten his goal for real. She heard Robbie also chuckling. "What is she doing now, hun?" she asked in a breath, putting on her dress.

Robbie's voice filtered from the bedroom.

" _She's still playing with the pencils and sketchbook you brought her…"_

"O-okay…" she adjusted the dark red garment's waist and mock turtleneck, then smoothed down the skirt. "And you love, what are you doing?" she turned around checking that the sweater dress fell to her knees just the way she wanted.

" _Playing with my train…"_

She went back to the bathroom for a last checking and saw the pink package still sealed on the washbasin. Her heart skipped a beat. She scolded herself. She should have left that behind.

There was no time for that right now. With the kids here she only had time to take a quick shower and change into dinner clothes. She put it away, then proceeded to hang the towels before turning off the light and going back to the closet.

"Do you like it?" she spoke with merriment in her voice guessing the smile on her son face.

" _I love it"_ he said effusively, and judging by the sound, wiggling the toy up in the air.

"The minute I saw it in the window I knew you'd like it…. You're a grown kid now. No more faced trains for you"

Robbie couldn't agree anymore. Lydia starting babbling again then she recalled.

"What was Lydia saying…?" she asked him again "Something about George and a doll" she laughed. "I don't think George would _ever_ look as a doll…" she heard Robbie also chuckling "More likely he'd look like a giant and menacing Teddy Bear!"

Lydia started talking again. It was clear. There it was again. That ' _Goi'_ was definitively 'George'. She paid attention to her as she put on her boots.

They were black, knee high. The red shoes she was wearing earlier were put away; they had already worked its magic. Seeing the glint in the green eyes of her husband was enough to make her feel sexy. She flattened the waist of her dress again. Her smile grew.

" _George has new dolls…"_ Robbie explained, Helga arched a brow, mockingly _"I saw them. Sophie said Amy bought them for Lydia"_

"Gawd!" Helga expressed, rolling her eyes "I think Amy wants her own kids…" she chanted, as for herself. It was probably matter of time that they take their relation to the next level... with kids involved. Then her heart beat faster again. She puffed, feeling almost breathless. Something told her that this time it wasn't going to be that easy.

" _We all know that Lydia loves dolls…"_ her boy spoke again, walking his train around the edge of her bed _"and that I love trains…"_

"And they all also know how much I love you two!" she uttered, finally stepping in the bedroom and hugging him, kissing his head and messing his hair then walking up to Lydia to take her and her sketchbook in her arms and going to her hairdresser.

Lydia brought a couple of colored pencils with her. Helga placed the girl on the counter and taking her tiny hand, she guided it to write with bold purple letters in the first page:

"L-Y-D-I-A"

She pronounced as she wrote them.

"Mama no"

"No, it's not mommy's. It's Lydia's" she underlined it "It's your book, sweetie."

"Mama no" the girl repeated, shaking her head.

"No, mama no. Lydia _is_ …" Helga moved her head up and down in a slow motion, then she paused, looking at her fourteen months old daughter. Her eyes were fixed on her lips. "Mo-mmy… just say it once, hun, mooo-… mmy…" Helga accentuated it "Mo-o-o …mmmyyyy"

"Moooo…" her baby repeated, also putting emphasis on the syllable "moooo…"

The blonde woman smiled seeing the soft and bright red lips of her baby girl trying hard.

"…mmmyyy" Robbie reached them "Say it, Lyl… Moooo-mmmyyy" her handsome little boy came to their help.

"Moooo…" the girl tried again.

"Mooo… mooo… moooo…mmyyyyyy." Helga repeated as she opened the upper drawer and took out her make up bag.

The kids continued talking: Robbie trying to teach his sister the new word, Lydia trying to succeed at saying it with just one blow. As always, the kids lost half of their attention in what they were doing to observe her.

Helga repeated the syllables throughout the approximate minute and a half that took to draw a dark brown line on the upper corner of her eyes and then apply a layer of mascara. Then she put the matte red on her lips.

"Ready!" she turned to them both "How do I look?"

"Pretty!" Robbie leaned on her bosom "You always look pretty, mom."

"You always the gentleman, darling…" she kissed his cheek. "Oops…" she put an apologetic face when she retracted and pointed his cheek.

The kid grunted and turned to the mirror. Helga then took Lydia's face in her hands and kissed her hard on the lips, smearing them.

"Mmm-mmm-mmmmmm" then she rubbed her nose against hers "You're a pretty doll; the prettiest doll in the world, you know it, right? … See!" she pointed to the mirror. The girl turned and smiled coquettishly to her reflection, pouting her now extremely red soft lips. Helga caressed her hair, making sure her fine tresses weren't too tight in her head and that the flowers were still firm.

 _Edelweiss…_

Helga sighed. They were man-made but lovely. They made her recall the good old days of her childhood when she wasn't able to appreciate all of Inge's care and value. She was only a jealous little brat. Helga shook her head at the memory.

It has been a blessing that they had kept their friendship alive through letters. It had been also a blessing that the wise woman had come back to America at some point in time and could move to DC now that her only girl was out to college.

"See…mama see…"

She smiled to her girl.

"Ready to go?" she asked her. The girl nodded "You ready, Robbie?"

"Tell me… did the lipstick go?" he turned his face up.

Helga smiled. He was a very handsome little fellow who had already broken a couple of hearts. Next September he'd go to school for first time; had been home schooled so far. She pitied the poor little girls out there.

"Yes, it did" she told him "Want another?"

She leaned ominously over him, puckering her lips. She knew they were inoffensive now. The lipstick had dried.

"No, no!" giggling, the kid ran away, leaving the room with his train high in his hand.

"Yes, yes!" she shouted, taking Lydia in her arms and making sure the colored pencils were left up there "We're coming after you… We're gonna catch you and we're gonna kiss you - and you're gonna like it…"

"No!" Robbie shouted again, laughing with joviality.

Lydia chuckled gleefully as they ran down the stairs chasing after him, Helga counted up every single step: one, two, three… as she used to do. When they reached downstairs she saw Robbie going to hide behind a couch.

Helga placed Lydia on her feet so she could participate in the chase. She asked the little girl to round the couch one side as she went to the other. In matter of seconds Robbie was their prey and they both were kissing him until the boy couldn't take it anymore and cried for mercy.

A tickle war took place then, this time each one against the others. Poor Lydia, she was in disadvantage in there but Helga tried to keep the forces even. Minutes later, the three of them ended lying on the carpet, breathing hard by the mouth and laughing until their bellies ached. Lydia was walking all over her when James found them behind the couch. Helga breathed deeply.

.

"So here you are"

He leaned down to take Lydia in his arms and to help Robbie to get up. Helga straightened to a sitting position, breathless. Inge also reached them and took the girl from James' arms.

"Look at you two! You were ready!" she reprimanded them, then she looked back to inform "Dinner is ready" Going off, she called Robbie to follow her and added "I'm gonna wash their hands. It's almost eight. You better be there on time."

Helga saw them go with a frown and then turned to her husband who was extending his hand to help her up.

"What's up with her?" she asked when she got on her feet.

"Has been like that the entire day…" He shrugged; turning to see her then he added "Come… I need to talk to you" and guided her to his office.

.

She observed their intertwined fingers as she followed him. Enjoying the contact… their contact.

So distant and impossible this simple contact seemed days ago. Long days where she couldn't touch him, couldn't see him… long days when she'd sworn she'd be happy just by looking at him once again.

But those days were gone. She sighed. Now he was here, in close reach. Her senses awakened, stirred by his closeness… by his smell, his voice, his presence…. Her maternal instincts were put aside. Suddenly she became too conscious of her femininity. Her breath hitched; the butterflies inside her belly quivered their wings.

She'd never be able to ignore him, to not react to his contact but she was too full of pride to show it right away; even more considering his lukewarm welcoming.

She knew why he acted that way. It had been a long absence and he resented it. Helga exhaled. She had also suffered it but usually the one who's gone is the same whose suffering is less. Or that was the saying is. She could tell otherwise. She had hated every single minute of that second week. With the possibility of the signing of the agreement getting more and more distant and having to deal with a bunch of angry men at both sides of the table she'd wished to throw in the towel. If she didn't was because she knew very well all that was at stake, and because she'd never let that her own troubles disturbed her mission. But it had been a living hell!

.

That's why James was so serious, but he wouldn't say a word. From the beginning of their marriage they made a deal. Their trips and careers would never be cause of discussions. And they both respected it. Helga swallowed to fight the lump in her throat. She felt like something needed to be changed. Something needed to be discussed.

But at the present the necessity was to go by. Hence… she straightened, relaxed her shoulders and neck when he opened the door; then walked in, without turning to see him.

Well… to say the truth, it wasn't as if they were actually being hostile to each other. It was only because he was _aware_ just the way she was. Besides, he'd started it all. It was like a competition… a match… a secret game to arouse the other's senses and _he_ was already playing it. She knew it…

She knew perfectly well he had started the moment he saw her in the yard. His entire poise and his self-possessed movements; his disdainful words…

That was why she swayed delicately her hips as she walked on, then turned around with a calculated motion, taking a seat on the _chaise longue_ , leaning indolently on it, crossing her legs…

 _The battle began…_

"Did Phoebe reach you?"

He asked as he positioned himself behind the couch that was in front of hers, blatantly ignoring her act.

"Yes, she did. I talked to her on the way here" she informed "She might be stopping by on her way to Hillwood."

"Really?" She nodded listlessly. "That means she got the post at NYU?" Helga nodded again and smiled, happy for her best friend's achievement. "That's great. It'll be good to see her again…" James also smiled, certainly also sharing her feelings "And… when would be that?"

"About two weeks…"

"Will you be here?"

 _Helga one._

"I'm not traveling the rest of the month" she exhaled, crossing her legs the other way and observing that his eyes followed her deliberate movements. _Helga Two._ "Who did just call you?"

"Father…" he smirked, then a frown appeared on his forehead "They might be coming tonight, I warn you. There are a couple of things he wants to discuss before they fly to New York on Sunday…"

"Why are they are going to New York?"

"Remember the Biannual next week?"

Of course she remembered. The last but one Meeting her father-in-law would be presiding.

"What do you mean by ' _warn'_ me" she asked again, carrying her hand up to remove the pin that kept her bun in place.

"…I don't know…" he hesitated. Helga fought down a smile _. It'd be an easy_ _win._ "I thought you were exhausted… maybe you… wanted to go to bed early."

 _Piece of cake._

She hummed to hide her open smile and then nodded giving him the reason.

"Well, I did… but I'd love to see your parents; haven't seen them in a while…" she rolled over, stretching languidly "Besides, I need to catch up with your mom and I'm sure your dad wants to know about the deal"

"You swear it! … but I don't know if talking about that was the way you planned to spend your evening" his voice turned deeper.

"Bah!" she waved her hand "There is not much to tell. They played the tough guy's act well. We played our ruthless guys' routine even better. There were deep differences…. Technical stuff… I already told you…" she exhaled, turning to see him "… but all the acting didn't change the fact that we need their energy as much as they need our contracts…. We both gave in and finally we reached the agreement."

He walked to the liquor table.

"That's what you say to everybody else. _It w_ _as a piece of cake!_ "

There was a note of sarcasm in his voice.

Helga scoffed as she observed him go. He thought he knew everything… _Mr. Fancy Pants!_ … Looking so formal with his body-fitting sweater; showing off his strong biceps… his flat abdomen… Helga's eyes stopped at his narrow hips. A lump grew up in her throat… _Grrrr!_ ….

Who could blame those stupid girls who dreamed of catching him? Idiots! They thought it was easy. Keeping up with Mr. Brighton-Lewis was a strenuous labor. But one that she enjoyed O _h-So-Much_. She was _The Plotter_ ; the bigger Schemer that ever existed. Thanks God she was natural born, otherwise the effort would consume her. But also Thanks God James was an active partner. He was as crazy as her… if not worst…

.

She raised her face when he turned around and nodded casually when he asked if she fancied an aperitif…. He almost caught her showing her canines…

A _s if she needed an aperitif_!

The hunger was making her almost lose it.

Her sight followed him after he left the table and came to her, feeling almost dizzy. She couldn't even concentrate in what he was saying. In the semidarkness of the room his eyes shone with danger. Their fingers touched when he extended the glass and Helga fought back a reaction.

She continued staring at him while drinking, focusing more on the details: the slight shadow on his jaw; his cleft chin; those fine lines at the corners of his mouth that came with his smirk; the tempting lips…. She blinked. The olive of his sweater matched his eyes. He remained there, standing in front of her until she finished her drink; also staring at her, also drinking. Then he walked back to the table whereas Helga forced herself to remain seated to avoid going after him. She breathed deeply.

There he was all calm and collected, showing off his cool and she was a nervous wreck. Blame the damn hormones! She lost all her points! Such a basket case she was; she always knew it. She puffed, standing up, disregarding grace and manners.

"No answer?" he chortled "Losing your voice is not a usual occurrence."

"Huh?" she turned to see him coming up again, looking S _ooo. Fucking. Relaxed_!

"I asked where you gave in…" he arched a brow, giving her a once over, then added in a low hum "…the deal…?... You know… that little thing that kept you in Canada…"

"Mmmm…" Helga hesitated, ignoring his sarcasm "It was Daniel…" she took in a breath "He was inflexible with the settings, -you know him, a never yielding man-" she rolled her eyes "… and wanted their entire production. Of course they wouldn't assent…" she blew out "This morning, tired of all the shit I asked him to set a number before facing them for last time and…"

"And then you convinced them?" he finally reached her side.

"More likely I _forced_ them to give an answer right away. No hesitations."

"You forced them?" he asked quietly. Helga turned up. Something in his voice made his heart thump against her ribcage _"You and your_ **red** _shoes?"_

Helga thought quickly. A second later she was out of his reach; is silky, dangerous voice still sending waves through her body; shaking her to the core. She breathed twice, three times… giving time to compose her voice and be ready.

"No…" she forced a chuckle "It was only me…. My red shoes were only a distraction…" she smirked observing him getting close as she walked to the door "…something needed to send their brains down the drain…" reaching the door, she turned her head back… and pretty aware she was giving him a good view of her rear side, she added in a whisper "A present from America…"

He raised his brows.

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

She turned again. She felt him stopping right behind her. Outstretching his hand to take the knob he brushed her arm as he did it.

"Why the present from America has to be taken from my property?"

His voice rustled on her ear.

She closed her eyes to control her trembling. After a deep intake, she turned and found him too close. Pretending to be affronted she reproved

"Your property?" she scoffed "I thought my legs were my property!"

" _Your legs?!"_ he almost choked.

Helga smirked.

"Yes. My legs, my feet… my red shoes…" tilting up her face she got closer to him. She spoke against his lips "They are only mine"

"That's where you are wrong…"

"I'm not wrong… they are mine…" retracting a bit, she added "… and I choose with whom I share…"

" _ **You share?!**_ " he hissed.

The clock made that distinctive sound that marked one minute before the hour, somehow easing the tension.

She exhaled.

"This is not over!" He warned, turning the knob and opening the door.

"Of course this is not over… in the least." She let out a chuckle and stepped back. "You, Mr. Fancy Pants _,_ are dead wrong if you think…" and right there she found her damnation.

As she retreated she pushed herself into him and she felt it. His pants, his virility. By reflex, she ground against him.

If she thought he was going to let her go she was oh-so wrong, _Thanks Heaven!_

A second later he was wrapped all around her; his hands gripping her hips, pulling up her dress; his teeth biting her neck. One more second and her skirt was no an obstacle anymore; his hand found that spot between her legs, pulled her panties aside, went beyond…

" _You're wet!"_

" _James…"_ she gasped.

" _And you're only mine!"_

" _Gawd_ …"

She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

" _Say it!"_

He walked backwards dragging her with him; then made her turn around and pushed her to her former seat. She swallowed hard feeling his full weight on her. Her hands went right to his fly. She was a woman on fire and she wanted him. There was a part of her that was crying out for him and demanded his immediate care. She exposed him, and kneaded him all over.

"Now!"

James cursed.

" _Now!"_ she repeated, almost imploring.

She felt him groaning against her neck.

 _"We can't…"_

 _"For Christ's Sake, James! I need you now!"_ she felt like crying.

He shifted and then she felt him at her aperture. He rubbed himself against her and she sobbed, taut like a cord, trembling to the core.

" _Please…"_

He shook his head and kissed her earlobe.

"They're waiting…"

 _ **"For Fucking Sake!"**_ she cried to let out her frustration. _**"For Pete and all the Fucking Heavens' sake!**_ **…** Two minutes… Just need two fucking minutes to let you fuck me and to..."

She heard him laughing softly and then looking for her lips to kiss her and mumble something unintelligible. Then sighed, drawing back and speaking with gentle voice he said.

"You think that I don't feel… that I'm made of stone?" he puffed again.

Helga shook her head, too distraught to point out the irony of the situation.

"You got me crazy." She let out with a long exhalation

" _You're crazy?!"_ he exclaimed, then sighed deeply. "I can't even think when you put on your act."

Helga smiled.

"Alright…"

They listened as the main door was opened followed by George's deep voice resounding in the hall.

"Time to go…"

Helga nodded.

He retreated to a standing position and arranged his clothes.

"I swear to God one of these days I'm gonna tie you up to the bedpost and lock us away…" she stood on her feet and combed her hair with her hands.

He chuckled.

"We have not bedposts"

"We need to get some bedposts, then."

"No, we don't… Besides, what is the point?" he chortled "You forget your promises as soon as one of the kids come calling you."

Helga scoffed. She was about to retort something witty but she knew he was right. Instead she only shrugged.

"Alright…" she exhaled "Let's admit that our sexual life is under the subjection of our kids"

"Some tyrants are they."

"Yeah… they are..." she smirked "…but we love them."

He leaned to peck her lips.

"We love them…" he caressed her face "…and we even want more."

Helga's heart skipped a beat.

Fortunately her husband had turned to the door pulling her hand without realizing the expression that appeared on her face as she followed him.

* * *

 **As usual…**

 **I don't own Hey Arnold! I don't own any other TM mentioned here. I only own the plot and the OC.**

 **Sorry for the long waiting. This story is coming to an end. Two more chapters. M rating is back.**

 **Thanks to my only reviewer Jose Ramiro. I love you man.**

 **This is the link to the forum. Everyone is welcome to visit and leave their comments.**

 **forum/ Welcome-to-Hillwood/ 144388/**

 **There are spaces before Welcome and the nummber. If it doesn't appear correctly you can find it in the section Forum, then Cartoons, then Hey Arnold! . It's called Welcome to Hillwood.**

 **See you soon**

 **P. November 19, 2013**

 **RE. October 17, 2015**


	6. Chapter 6

**LIFE GOES ON**

 **CHAPTER SIX**

 **HEAT**

 **. . .**

* * *

 **Rated M, I mean it. You're warned.**

* * *

. . .

As he took his clothes off, he turned to see the mantel clock -ten past twelve- then went back to the closet to leave the shoes in its shelf and the clothing in the basket. Turning around he frowned realizing Helga's suitcases were nowhere to be seen. James exhaled. In all probability Anna had already taken care of them, he thought entering into the bathroom. Seeing Helga's pink drawer half open he pushed it close and took his toothbrush. He looked at his image in the mirror; scenes of the evening danced before his eyes.

* * *

. . .

His parents arrived right after dinner; just on time to have coffee with them and to find the kids still awake; and said goodbye barely ten minutes ago when the clock struck midnight. As expected, their visit took longer than expected.

James still found odd seeing Robert Brighton-Lewis acting as a loving grandfather when he was the most impatient of the fathers in the past. He was affectionate and tender towards Lydia but everyone knew his favorite was Robbie; he was never shy to let everybody know how proud he was of his grandson.

Then, as they both talked about business his mother helped Helga to take the kids to bed; stretch that probably served them as well to catch up about family happenings and social events of the season. When they came back his father was ready to listen to whatever his _golden_ daughter- in- law wanted to tell.

* * *

. .

James rinsed his mouth and green toothbrush and left it beside Helga's purple one. If someone would have predicted it he'd never believe it. Helga could have never been somebody's favorite in her younger years, but things changed once she got married. Not only she had gotten herself a devoted husband but also won a father-in-law who adored her from the very first day they met. It was as if Sir Robert decided he'd make up for all the years of negligence and unnecessary anguishes he caused to his family by loving his older son's wife.

James remembered their first encounter. It had happened at his birthday party almost nine years prior, back in Hillwood. The night he interrupted the gang's reunion at The Coffee Shed to take Helga away. The night he remembered his father calling him _'Robert'_ for first and only time in his adult life. The very night that, according to his father, he finally grew a pair and asked the girl of his dreams out.

From this day on, going through his proposal, their wedding and the birth of their kids, he had been there for her; correction, for them. Of course, without forgetting the fact that he'd enticed and helped her to follow a career in the Department of Energy –something he never did for any of his own kids- where Helga became his protégée. He'd been always close to help her and to praise every one of her achievements. Genuinely. James was happy to see that from that day on, his father had improved his relations not only with him but with the rest of the family.

* * *

. .

So, back in the living room, the dark haired man took a seat to listen as his wife recounted her last adventure in Canada. Helga had bragged to some extent as she used to do, but was more reserved than usual. James appreciated the gesture. He didn't want to hear a story where his brave and blonde wife and the gallant Daniel Price fought side to side against the Evil impersonated by Canadians technicians and bureaucrats until they overpowered them and rose victorious from the sanguinary battle.

It was good to realize, though, that Sir Robert seemed to dislike Daniel just as much as he did. He'd have hated seeing his own father being fond of the damn bastard who fortunately only sent one more message. He wanted to know if Helga had arrived home safe and sound.

Safe and sound…

He could live without knowing it, right? Well, what was for sure was that it wouldn't be he who told him. But Daniel already knew that, so… _what was his real aim?_ He was about to inquire the guys when George came in and submitted the report.

James had turned to see Helga then, installed at his mother side, taking a sip of her drink; chamomile tea. She looked as healthy as always, nevertheless…

* * *

. . .

A frown was perched on his forehead as he picked up Lydia toys from all around the room and placed them on the armchair. He threw a new glance at the clock. Quarter past twelve. After his parents left, Helga went to the kitchen to talk to Anna. That used to take five minutes. But James remembered seeing Inga around and she had been acting strangely all day so probably she wanted to talk to her too. James had the impulse to go looking for her but desisted in the end. He knew it was ridiculous and that everyone would know what he was up to.

Sighing, he put on his robe and went out to take the toys to the playroom and throw a last check on the kids. He was kissing Lydia's forehead when through the crack in the door filtered Helga footsteps crossing the hall and heading upstairs. He covered the little girl's form with the fluffy blankets and placed her stuffed cat toy close then straightened, checked the temperature and left the room.

When he got out he saw Helga walking quietly into Robbie's bedroom. He waited outside.

"Everything's okay?" he asked silently from behind her when she closed the door with the same carefulness.

" _Geez!"_ she exclaimed turning around with an exaggerated display, though almost inaudibly "Damn it, James! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she brushed past him "What do you want? Give me a heart attack?"

He chuckled.

"Yeah! Give you a heart attack. That's precisely what I want." He saw her heading to Lydia's door on the other side of the spacious but dim lit hallway. "She's sound sleep. I just checked on her"

"Is she alright?" she turned and waited for him; he nodded reaching her. She let out a long exhalation "Our little girl is so grown up. I can't believe it!" she said with amazement.

"She's our same little girl…"

"No, she's not. She's changed." They walked side to side towards their bedroom in the other end of the corridor. The thick carpet muffled the sound of her boots "It's just that you don't realize because you were here all the time" she said sorrowful "She grew up and I lost it…"

James hugged her. He knew the sentiment. And was aware that she was somewhat right. After all, two weeks were a significant portion of their daughter's life.

"You'll make up for it" he told her as he pushed the door and let her in first. "You always make up."

"I do?" she turned around when he closed the door and threw her arms around his neck. James smiled at the coquetry in her voice, at her big eyes looking right into his. "To you too?"

"Yes, you do," his hands went to hold her waist. She kissed him. It was a soft kiss but he was turned on already; had been all day. His hands traveled down to her hips "Where do you think you're going?" he asked against her lips when he felt her form retreating.

"Just a pit stop and I'll be back"

He hummed. "I don't think so" still holding her hips, he pushed 'himself' onto her.

She smiled; her blue eyes beamed.

"You really missed me, huh?" his reply was a grunt. Helga looked down with a smirk "Look at you! Nobody dare to say you're in your forties"

"Hey!" he laughed and cupped her backside "It's only forty-one!" then he kissed her, she snorted against his lips.

"Almost forty-two" she mumbled. "Eight more days…"

"I've never seen you disappointed" He kissed her again; his left hand kept her head in place. Helga mumbled what he thought must be a witty answer with a faint moan. He drew back "Or have you ever been?"

She shook her head and came to kiss him again. Her arms gripped his sides as they started to move slowly to the bed, in a sort of a dance, their hips pressed together.

Reveling in the contact with her tongue and her wetness, James deepened the kiss. Helga moaned. He pulled tighter, exploring her mouth. She tasted delicious; she always tasted delicious, always smelled delicious. He groaned, grasping the fabric of her dress and pulling up. He didn't know any more if that smell was his or hers… or if it was the smell of them both when they were together. The only thing he knew was that he was falling in a spiral of sensations and pleasure that filled his senses and overcame his mind; like her firm breasts pressing tightly against him; or her warm breath in his face. All the anticipation, the promise of a consummation that possessed him until he burst out and felt complete…

"James… I had too much tea… I really need…" she wiggled to escape from his grasp. James grinned knowing she did on purpose. His hands descended to her hips and gripped her buttocks, kneading them.

"One minute or I'll go in and take you in the bathtub. You're warned" he then spanked her.

"Not in the bathtub. Criminy! What's your problem?" She slid off him and ran away, grumbling. James observed her go, took his robe and shirt off and grabbed the remote to adjust the temperature in the room. He was not alone anymore; he felt like singing. It wasn't a cold and empty bed any longer.

Helga came back almost immediately walking up to him. She then she stopped in front of him and gave him her back, taking up her hair. James threw the remote onto the couch and zipped the dress open until her mid-back, then embraced her and attacked promptly her neck. She shivered, letting out a gasp.

He lifted and took her to the bed. There, he kissed her neck, her back and observed her skin filling with goosebumps. She gasped and moaned and, when he paused, she turned over and kissed him, clinging to his neck with urgency. James responded to her hungry kiss while his hands went to pull her dress up again; looking right for her core. He didn't need any foreplay, neither did she. He knew it. He straightened and took her by the waist, pulling her to him; then pushed his boxers down, her panties aside and him inside. A shake ran through him. He breathed out.

* * *

.

"… _better than any dream…"_ her dismayed voice and her loud panting were driving him crazy " _Don't tell me you didn't…; don't tell me you didn't use your own hand…"_ James chortled against his will. Saw the restless girl moaning under him. Her hair was a mess; her lips were swollen; her eyes were closed; her expression…. He breathed deeply; his body shook again as he slowed down to lean over and kiss her lips _"Don't stop…"_ she grumbled.

He wasn't stopping; just lessened his thrusts but pushed deeper. Helga gasped, spreading her legs wider. One of them was still clad with a boot. He did it again. Burying himself deeper into her as if wanting to reach a point he had never been before. She cried out, shaking her head, writhing " _If I used my hand, you ask?"_ he asked, biting her earlobe. " _Yeah, I did. Hundreds of times… and I came in your pussy… I came in your face…I came in your breasts, in your mouth…"_

Helga squealed; shuddering uncontrollably under him for some seconds, then exhaled and wriggled trying to roll him over. He let out an exhalation and helped her to carry out the deed until she was on top, straddling him. She looked at him intently for long seconds, then she gripped the sides of her crumpled dress and took it off. She looked at him again with her darkened blue eyes and he observed her chest going up and down with her ragged breathing. She then unclasped her lacy bra and threw it aside. He took her panty aside to penetrate her again.

"Rip it up!" she ordered. His nape prickled. James took the delicate lace between his fingers and pulled slightly, probing. Helga straightened up and then fell down heavily swallowing him entire. James groaned. Helga started to rock her hips back and forth and he closed his eyes " _Rip the damn thing UP!"_ she ordered again and he obeyed. A quick pull at the bridge was all he needed to tear the fabric up. He slid the shreds up to her waist when he gripped her hips as her swaying took speed.

" _This is what you wanted, right? … To feel me inside you…to be in control…_ " Helga made a throaty noise and threw her head back. James closed his eyes and felt her, heard her. Her moaning filled everything, setting the room in fire. And she was wet, and hot, and tight around him making him feel hotter and hotter with each thump. He then opened his eyes to see the stunning woman over him as she rocked her path to heaven. Her rocking grew steadily in potency until it became a bouncing, up and down, up and down _…_. The sensations increased. A sudden stray thought came to his mind…

"Why I have the impression that I'm being screwed?" he asked between puffs.

"Ha!" she let out a loud laugh, her eyes shone when their sights met "Maybe because you are," her bouncing up and down became rougher. She leaned slightly to ask then with mischief " _How does it feel-"_ she slurred, her jaw tight, her buttocks clenched. James took a deep breath feeling the anticipation in his lower abdomen. Knowing he was going to need all of his self-control to go on _"… to be used, huh? ... How does it feel, Mr. Brighton-Lewis… to be a toy?"_ he exhaled forcefully, gripping the sheets under him _"How does it feel… -that the only reason of your existence … - is to please your wife?"_

He felt like exploding, but tightened up his muscles; then attracted her to bit her lips. That was what she wanted; to unleash the beast. He took her hips and countered her bouncing. Helga growled. He attracted her head towards him and hissed in her ear.

" _I guess it's exactly what you feel when I bend you over, huh"_ Helga moaned _"How does it feel?"_

" **HOT**!" she shouted. "I'm burning here!" she made a try to straighten and he let go. She puffed and then resumed her brisk motions. James let her be. He observed as she closed her eyes and leaned back. He saw the surrealist recoiling of her long hair; the bouncing of her full breasts; her abdomen contracting; their crotches… rubbing… against each other. He knew she was close. Her expression was ecstatic, her breasts filled, her nipples set erected. The beast inside him wanted his mate, his _woman_ , wanted release, wanted to fill her... James puffed as he tightened and relaxed his muscles again at the feeling of her whole body tensing up and her insides squeezing him

' _Come on, baby!'_ He slapped her breasts.

She came right then. James exhaled, observing her enraptured, howling, letting go... and fought once more time to keep back his own release. He tightened his muscles to endure her indolent and measured swinging, and forced his breath to lessen until she came down to lie onto him.

"Are you done?" she nodded faintly. James kissed her lips. Then he slid from under her and left the bed; took her by her ankles, threw away her boot and pulled her to the edge of the bed. He had waited and waited only for this. She was his. Now she was his doll toy and he was going to be sated. Bending her over, he entered again. _Jesus!_ The beast was unleashed.

* * *

.

He was running in heaven, in ecstasy, in sheer bliss… every second prolonged, every thrust became more and more delicious. Her moans still filled the room. He caressed her hips again, felt her butt…; he loved her; loved having her in every way and place possible but this position made him lose his mind. He pushed again, hard. He loved to see her bouncing, see the shreds of her panty still circling her waist, loved to see her pale skin hitting against his own, see their contrast; loved to see himself burying into her, roughly, deeply, almost wishing to hurt…

" _Come again…"_ he asked her, Helga whimpered. _"Come on, love. Come again,"_ His right hand left her hip and went down, but her fingers were already there, so he gripped her hips again as she started to touch herself. He groaned feeling her fingers also rubbing him; then gave a strong pull. Helga's knees left the bed and she wailed; he felt her coming again. An animalistic growl left his throat when she swelled around him, filling him with a wild anticipation. His ears felt hot and thumped. He waited for her to finish, then supported his foot on the edge of the bed and jerked from her hips again, pushing harder

" _YOU'RE HURTING ME!"_

It was like liquid magic. He exploded; the world ceased to exist. Waves of raw pleasure ran through his body, _for-so-long,_ until he felt squeezed… _empty_ …. She was right. It was better than any dream.

The next thing he was conscious of was his grip on her hips, he felt her.

 _How was that she's still existed, that had a form…?_

 _When he was reduced to mush… melted on her back…_

He exhaled on her neck; took in her scent.

 _She should become mush too… and merge together…_

"Move over…" she grunted; he chuckled "You're too heavy"

 _No such luck._

He kissed her cheekbone.

"Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head smiling pleased, opening indolently her eyes.

"No… you know you didn't… I only returned the favor"

He shifted to nest her in his arms, the hollow of her neck resting on his arm. He kissed her forehead.

"I love you"

"I love you more" her voice was weak, suddenly she sobbed. James drew back to see her face.

"Helga, are you alright?" she nodded but then her face crumpled. James straightened to see her carefully "What's wrong, honey?" she started to cry softly and he hugged her. His chest filled with emotion; a different kind of emotion that the one he felt until a few minutes ago. She was crying and he loved her seeing her nose turning red and her eyes filling with beautiful tears for all its meaning, but at the same time he didn't like her hurting. He soothed her. She was his little girl and she needed him.

. . .

* * *

 **I don't own Hey Arnold! ... who will be coming up next week, a mean, chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading. A thousand thanks to JR.**

 **Click the Review button if you want next chapter coming before the week ends.**

 **12/14/2013**

 **10/31/2015**


	7. Chapter 7

**Life Goes On**

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Life Goes On**

* * *

. . .

 **Sorry for the long waiting. A bunch of stuff got in my way but I'm here with a very long chapter; a double chapter in fact. Maybe it should be cut in two but this story was going to be served in seven courses, as I said from the beginning and here you have the dessert.**

 **No explicit stuff today, everything is clean, clean... well, as clean as a T-rate gets. See you at the end.**

 **Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **. . .**

" _YOU'RE HURTING ME!"_

It was like liquid magic. He exploded; the world ceased to exist. Waves of raw pleasure ran through his body; for timeless moments, until he felt squeezed… _empty_ ….

She was right. It was better than any dream.

The next thing he was conscious of was his grip on her hips, he felt her.

 _How was that she's still existed, that had a form…?_

 _When he was reduced to mush… melted on her back…_

He exhaled on her neck; took in her scent.

 _She should have become mush too…_

 _And merge with him…_

"Move over…" she grunted; he couldn't help but let out a chuckle "You're too heavy"

 _No such luck._

He kissed her temple.

"Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head smiling with satisfaction, opening her eyes with indolence.

"No… you know you didn't… I was returning the favor"

He shifted to nest her in his arms, the hollow of her neck resting on his arm. He kissed her forehead.

"I love you."

"I love you more" her voice was weak; suddenly she sobbed. James drew back to see her face.

"Are you alright?" she nodded but then her face crumpled. He straightened to see her closely "What's wrong, honey?" she started to cry softly and he hugged her. His chest filled with emotion; a different kind of emotion of what he felt until a minute ago. She was crying and he loved her see her nose turning red and her eyes filling with beautiful tears, for all its meaning, but at the same time he didn't like seeing her hurting. He soothed her. She was his little girl and she needed him. "You're sure I didn't hurt you?"

She shook her head again and let out a chuckle. He smiled. So she wasn't sad but sensitive.

He kissed her tears and combed her hair behind his ears; then waited until she was ready to talk. For them, lovemaking was an activity so intense that sometimes it let the feelings and emotions raw on the surface. To him, it meant to experience a fierce passion, to deepen his love; to become more zealous, more impetuous, more _possessive_. She was his mate.

But she was different; she was a girl and as such she was under the powerful influence of her hormones every so often that he'd learned to respect them. They made her sensitive and being sensitive meant to be weak and weakness was something that Helga P. Brighton-Lewis would never display to the outer world. But now she was in bed, with him. She was safe. There wasn't a safest place in the world and she could indulge, let her guards down and cry all what she wanted.

Observing the beloved face he still saw the same girl he met long ago; the passionate teenager who rocked his world melted with the blossomed woman she became through the years; the very essence of his two kids.

She stopped sobbing and he kissed the tip of her nose. Her red rimmed eyes fixed on his. He prompted her to go on.

"What is it?"

"It's over so quickly" was her candid reply.

" _It's over so quickly?"_ he raised his brows, doubting about having heard correctly.

"I was waiting for this for so long… and now it's over," she pouted. He chuckled "Am I silly?" her mouth turned down like a little girl's mouth would do.

"Well…" he nodded, smiling at the vision "That's the way you are and we still love you…" she punched his arm and he chortled; then he kissed the bridge of her nose "You're not silly, love. I was also dying to be with you." He looked into her eyes and smiled again "And I'd like to run a marathon with you tonight but you're tired. You just arrived from a trip and had the longest evening…" he exhaled "… _besides_ …" he made a pause.

"You know it, right?" she looked at him guardedly and when he nodded she lowered her sight.

Yeah, he knew.

The previous day, around nine forty five a.m. when they were heading to the meeting, she fainted. They left their rooms, got the elevator, the doors closed and she fell unconscious. Shawn's trained reflexes made him react quickly and catch her. Lou stopped the elevator and they both took her out to the couch in the second floor foyer. Daniel stood there, stunned, not knowing what to do. One of the guys of their team went to the front desk to demand a doctor because she didn't react.

When the doctor reached them she was back, although weak and pallid. The doctor asked right away if she had eaten and what she'd eaten. According to Shawn, she'd only taken sips of her coffee that morning. James knew her. She stopped eating when she was anxious. When he was around he used to take care, like tonight, but Shawn didn't have such power over her. Still, the doctor cleared the area, made everybody, including Shawn, go back and talked only to Daniel. Then Daniel tried to cancel the meeting but Helga objected. They ended being just a few minutes late.

That was the official report.

"What happened?" he asked. He wanted to hear her side.

She closed her eyes. A sharp sting tugged at his heart, a fear. Daniel messages came back to his mind. He waited for her to say whatever she had to say but she remained silent. Sighing, he wondered all the stuff he didn't know.

"I don't know… I… I…" she raised her sight to look at him. Her lips opened to say "I just fainted…" he froze for a second and then exhaled, trying to control the relief that washed over him.

"That was it?"

" _That was it_?!" she frowned "… I fainted! In front of other people! … I'm a strong woman, I never faint…" she shook her head "… but… but that's not all…. There is something else…" she paused, closing her eyes, looking for the right words to go on.

"Did you faint before?" he got worried.

"No…" she shook her head again, looking apprehensive "… well… I don't think so... I … I had been missing you… and the kids… so badly…" she exhaled wearily, and then went on in a hurry "It'd never happened before. I mean, I always miss you, always… but now I almost couldn't stand it. I got scared, maybe panicked. I wondered what I was doing over there. I felt manipulated. I couldn't believe I had left you guys for so long. I thought I'd never see you again; thought that something was going to happen. I think I didn't sleep that night thinking the most horrible scenarios. Thought that something might happen to the kids, to you; thought you were going to leave me..."

"Shhh, shhh, shhh…" he shushed her and embraced her tightly to get her calm. She was getting frantic. "Nothing is gonna happen. The kids are alright… and I love you. I never gonna leave you."

"But what if another Monica appears and you wanna give it a try?"

"Why I'd do that?"

"Because I leave you alone?"

"Honey..." he smiled reassuringly "I could never leave you even if I wanted. Don't you know how crazy I am about you? You're my life, my everything…" he caressed her lips.

"But being all alone for so long may-" her eyes shone with fear.

He shook his head, cutting her off.

"Love…" he looked at her intently, at her blue eyes; they were so beautiful. He drew in as he got lost in them. How could he say with words how much he loved her; how much he thanked her for filling his life; for giving him two perfect kids; for giving him everything he lived for? Sharing her life with him, her craziness, her intimacy, all her passion… all the things he treasured and didn't take for granted. She had chosen him to share her life with, no someone else. "We are more than that, honey. Remember our deal?" he raised his brows "Distance is nothing; nostalgia is nothing; time away from each other is nothing because when we are back together we are this. All this love, this passion…" He hugged her tightly "When we are back together we have these crazy reencounters that fill us; that reinforce us again. I wouldn't change them for anything."

"We're crazy, right?"

"Yes. We are both crazy…"

"And nothing's gonna tear us apart…"

"Nothing" his arms held her firmly and then his hands traveled to her waist. Sighing, he remembered the impending talk.

"Honey…?"

"Huh?"

 _But how to start?_

"There's something I need to tell you…"

"Yeah, I know there's much to tell… but I'll go first, okay?" she spoke reluctantly, like if she didn't want to start. Then exhaled painfully "While we were at it, the doctor… well… the doctor… he … he _assumed_ …. It's absurd, I know, but…" she exhaled again through the mouth, pulling a face, and took her hands to her abdomen.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head, letting out a worn exhalation for the third time.

"You're not gonna like it…" she closed her eyes. " _Oh, God!_ It was the stupid doctor!" she hurried then "I already made an appointment to go see Dr. Andrews on Monday-" she puffed and then took air again.

He blinked.

"Dr. Andrews?"

"… And he's an idiot too! … Not Dr. Andrews of course, but Daniel … though I know it's not his fault after all - that the doctor took him for my husband and congratulated him…" she stopped abruptly " _Oh!_ " when he reacted she had left the bed and was running to the bathroom.

James ran behind her, concerned. He found her coughing, leaned over the toilet.

"Are you alright?" She was so pale that he got scared. He went to hold her and took her hair away from her face. He was about to ask again if she was alright when suddenly everything took sense.

She had sickness… and had fainted last day; had only tea after dinner… and made an appointment to see her obstetrician…

 _and the stupid doctor congratulated Daniel!_

His head was spinning. '… _Your next kid would me mine.'_ He felt dizzy. His sight was a tunnel vision.

"Are you pregnant?" he blurted out, almost breathless.

She inhaled deeply several times still leaned over the toilet, not turning to see him.

' _Your next kid would be mine…'_ the words blinked before his eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked again, holding her arm forcefully "... I thought you were taking care…"

When she turned to see him her eyes were huge and hurt.

"Are you mad?"

She coughed again.

 _No, for God's sake._

"NO!"

James shook his head. He trusted Helga. They were more than words. _He trusted her, God!_ What the hell was happening to him? He should get himself together. It wasn't her fault if a fucking bastard texted him. The son of a bitch _knew_! That was why he did it. He wanted to spoil the news; to cause trouble. James reached for her but she drew back.

"Are you mad?" she asked again, guardedly.

"No, of course not" he managed to smile "It's just that I can't believe it. I thought you were taking care. Oh, my God, Helga. You _are_ pregnant." He let out a giggle.

She looked relieved.

"Well, I'm not sure yet…" the ghost of a smile appeared on her face "… _and this is not the way how you were supposed to know it!_ I should go to see the doctor and once he confirmed, I'd be looking for a creative way to drop the news."

James shook his head, still feeling light-headed.

"I thought you were still using those patches you were so happy with…"

"I was… I left them after Lydia's birthday, I told you, remember?" Helga looked at him with her big eyes showing caution. "James… the mere notion of me being pregnant shocked you… and I don't know why," she frowned "I thought you also wanted this"

"I want this" He smiled with reassurance helping her to the wash-hand basin and filling a cup with water for her.

"It's not what it seems..."

"Well, it took me by surprise… I didn't expect it… but that doesn't mean I didn't want it." he observed her washing her mouth. She hadn't thrown up; it was only the nausea, maybe because she'd barely taken the vegetables at dinner. Aware of this he got worried at the memory of the ugly sickness she got when she was expecting Robbie. He took a robe from the drawer and put it over her shoulders. Then made her turn around to peck her lips "There were so many things all of a sudden… you looked sick and I got scared. Then you mentioned Dr. Andrews… and right at that moment I got why the doctor that checked on you congratulated Daniel…. It drove me crazy!" he uttered aloud, feeling outraged again. His head whirled for a second time; the blood boiled in his veins. He fought to control his reactions.

Helga flinched and looked at him with caution.

"I knew you wouldn't like it… but I didn't know if Shawn heard… if he told."

James puffed; then breathed deeply. He cursed Daniel. He could imagine the idea taking form in his twisted mind.

"Shawn said nothing. I guess if he heard he let it to you…. I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to scare you," he took her in his arms "I don't know why this happens to me. Everything about you drives me crazy. I can't help it, I'm jealous. Just by thinking about that asshole taking the credit for getting you with child…"

"Gross!" Helga made a face "Don't make me think of that"

James grunted. He observed her. She didn't have idea what was in his mind. There she was, all sweet and innocent, carrying his kid in her womb. He felt stupid and guilty for letting that a bunch of messages from a bastard hurt them.

"Wait a moment…. Did you seriously think…?"Helga pushed him and looked at him with disbelief. " _Oh, come on!_ " she said with disgust "You think – that _me and Daniel_ …!"

"No! Of course not!" he shook his head.

"For God's sake! I might be pregnant with your child and you are thinking…. This is a joke, right? You're not seriously considering …" she shook her head. Her eyes showed incredulity _. "Oh, my God!"_ She stepped back.

"Helga…"

"Oh, my God! You are having doubts…" she hugged herself protectively.

"No, of course not. I trust you. I've always trusted you…" he exhaled "it's just…"

"I don't know how to feel… you're having doubts about me, about your child…" she was hurt "Do you really think…?" she coughed again. He reached for her but she dodged his hand "For God's sake, James! _Who do you think I am?_ … I _**promised!**_ remember? I promised that I never was going to…" she paused, lowering her voice "… that I was never going to cheat on you again…" her face contorted; her hands continued hugging her lower belly "You know I don't go making promises every five minutes."

"I'm sorry," he took her in his arms again and didn't let go despite her struggle. "I'm so sorry, Helga. Of course I remember…" she stiffened then. He soothed her skin "… and I never think badly of you. I've never had. It's just…" He exhaled, cursing himself. Then kissed her head. If he'd known something like this was going to happen he'd spoken before. Waiting only got him insulting his wife. He didn't like to fight. They never fought, he used to say, but if they never fought it was because they used to talk; to be sincere; to talk openly about everything. If he hadn't brought it to the table was because he didn't want to accept before her that Daniel Price, her admired boss, teased him; that had teased him in the old days and was doing it again. "It's just that sometimes I can't help but feel jealousy."

She blinked, looking sincerely surprised.

"You're jealous… _of Daniel_?" then she shook her head when he shrugged "You have no reason to be jealous of Daniel."

James shook his head. What was the point in hiding it anymore? It was not as if he was afraid of anything, after all. The text messages were right there, like sparkling proofs.

"He's been bugging me" he finally said.

Her sight didn't leave his face.

"Bugging you? … What do you mean?"

"He's been texting me… about you and him… about your relationship. He's been hinting that you two…"

She blinked repeatedly.

"He - _WHAT_?!"

 _How could he even think…?_ James felt like laughing at his own stupidity.

"He said you're so beautiful, so funny and smart that he doesn't get how you married such a stuffed shirt like me. He also uses to ask me where I found you; how I won you over; asks me if I'm jealous because he doesn't mind to share…"

"He _WHAT?"_ her face was getting red.

"Once he told me that if he hasn't tried something yet it's just because the chase has been too exciting…"

"Ha"

"And today he pointed out that -in sight that you spend most of your time at his side- it should mean… here I quote him "… _your next kid would be mine_ …" he made quotation marks in the air.

"He Wha… _WHAT_?" She stuttered, stepping back for a better look.

James was watching her closely. Her behavior confirmed his thoughts. She knew nothing, not a word. She was getting angrier and angrier the more he spoke until she rendered speechless and her face was beet red.

Then she went back to the bathroom and opened her pink drawer, only to close it immediately and curse loudly.

"He's sick! The son of a bitch! I'm gonna kill him!" she turned around "How he dares to mess with me?! He's a fucking idiot, and you're an idiot too. How he dared to suggest such stupidity! _And you?_ You believed him, right? That's why you never said a word?"

"No, I didn't" he spoke with calm "I never gave credit to his words. But I was angry with him, with myself… I didn't know what to do. Of course I wasn't going to step to his level, I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction… but I didn't want to admit that he upset me… and didn't want to go to you like a crybaby either…" he shrugged and looked at her in the eye "… but I never wavered in regards of your fidelity."

Helga looked at him with a frown. He could say she was mad; maybe not at him as much as she was at Daniel.

"Idiot!" she pushed past him and went back to the bedroom. He reached her.

"Helga…" he took her face in his hands "…please forgive me. I should have spoken before…"

"How long has this been going on?"

"Months…. It all started after that party…"

Helga nodded. She turned around and sat down in the bed. James took a seat at her side. He knew she was pondering the situation. Like the expert mediator she was she was assessing everything and he couldn't help but feel stupid again.

Why he never said a thing? It was only because he was too embarrassed to admit it? Or because he thought it was just a childish game and didn't want to alter the work interaction between her and 'her boss'? What he never thought was that by not saying a thing he actually gave power to Daniel; a power that was this close to spoil the news of the arriving of their new baby.

"Look… maybe it's also my fault" she finally spoke "I was aware of your mutual animosity but never said a thing because I thought it was something old… because I didn't know how it started… why, or when…. Neither you nor he had ever spoken about that. I even came to think it has to be with some girl in your past or… something… maybe his wife…" she turned to see him square in the face.

"I never met his wife before."

"Another girl then?"

"Not that I'm aware."

"Well… if I never bring it on was because…" she looked at him confused "I didn't want to deal with whatever thing of your past… or his. I didn't want to mess with his stuff. We are partners and friends to some extent but I never thought he was messing with you this way and that you were letting him get his way"

"I thought that if I hit back I'd been giving it more importance than what it deserved…"

Helga shook her head and closed her eyes.

"I don't know… I'm surprised that he'd dared to talk about me that way, even to you… whatever weird thing is going on between you two." she cursed " What an idiot! If I'd say…" she looked past him. A thousand thoughts were running behind her eyes. James smiled seeing her small hands traveling down again to her lower belly and felt wonderful. She was pregnant again. He reached to touch the warm skin of her abdomen.

"You don't have to say anything…"

"But I don't want to keep his secrets anymore…" she exhaled and shook her head slightly. "If I respected Daniel was because of our jobs… I really think he's a brilliant man who knows like no one else the energy's requirements of this country. A somewhat misunderstood man. A bully alright, but as most of the bullies he has his share of shit." She looked at him "But it's not true that he didn't try anything - with me I mean. I don't have to protect him. At the beginning of our working together he tried to molest me and I hit him so bad that I almost broke his nose." James clenched his fists but decided to let her go on. He'd know everything about that later. He noticed her smirk and her curled left fist "I understood he acted that way only when he realized I was your wife; that's why I thought it has something to do with your past…. Anyway, he learned the lesson and conducted himself properly from then on and I'd come to think we were somewhat friends, but now I see I was wrong. Not only for what he did to you -or what he said about me, but also for something that happened this past week…

"I had the impression that Daniel was stretching out this trip on purpose. He was being so stubbornly senseless that I got enough after my black out and told him I was leaving him alone; that was when he ended giving in" she looked at him cautiously "I didn't want to be so self-absorbed to think he did it because of me, but _maybe_ he did. All this seems to confirm my suspicions…." she exhaled "Besides, I had decided I don't want to deal with Daniel _or_ his wife while I am pregnant. _Geez!_ I think I don't want to deal with any of them even if I'm not. There is an important negotiation with the Texans coming up on June and that would be my last participation with him. Then I'm gonna ask for a relocation, or even better, I might take a sabbatical"

James nodded. He couldn't be happier. Well, he'd be happier if she left immediately but he knew she was too compromised with the upcoming affair. At the moment, there was something else that he really needed to know.

"So it was you who rearranged his face?" he remembered seeing Daniel injured at that renowned party of last summer but never thought it was his own wife doing.

"Nobody corners Helga Brighton-Lewis without getting his just desserts!"

"I am so proud of you!" he kissed her smirking lips. Then drew back to ask "Why did you make mention of his wife? What she has to do with this?"

"Mmmm…" she grunted "I guess once I started I have to tell you everything" she sighed resignedly "I don't know if you've realized Daniel and Laura don't have kids. Well..." she paused "I think it's because they _can't._ Don't ask me how I know because... –well…" she closed her eyes "…actually, I guessed it because of his father, the senator. He was talking about family legacies and whatnot when he was introduced to me. Then he started asking me -a little too insistently- about Robbie, you and your father. It wasn't hard to put two and two together…" she lowered her sight "So I guess that's why Laura is so full with bitterness. She's not a nice person. I'd tried to be agreeable and sympathetic but she's always rude, not only to me but to everyone. I never gonna say she's a horrible person but I can't help to think it. I feel sorry for her, though, for Daniel. That must be something really hard to deal with. I cannot even start to think about it; it's heartbreaking…"

James heard her and couldn't help but feel crushed; even if they were talking about Daniel Price. Being a father had been a blessing to him. He observed her as it was obvious she related to them despite saying the opposite. James marveled at her discretion again but that was how Helga was. Her sense of right and wrong was rather 'singular' but never wavered. It was obvious she'd never spoke about this to anyone; he included. She was respectful.

"No one needs to know, right?" he nodded "I just wanna let you know their situation but it's not our secret. They act as if they were too selfish to sacrifice their comfort by having kids…. Anyway, I think you see now why I don't want to spend my pregnancy in a place where I might be seen as someone who is showing it off"

"And I don't want you worrying about anything else that your or our baby's wellbeing. There is no need."

"Yeah, it's not worth it. That was what I decided last night at the hotel room. I love my work but as of late it has been a pain in the ass to be in that office" she looked at him "Besides, you haven't said a word yet but I know you're thinking you'll be traveling regularly to New York next year after you assume the Presidency of the Board, aren't you?"

"I don't mind to start traveling again as long as you're happy here."

"But what would be better? Have you considered moving back to Hillwood?"

James pulled her to seat on his lap.

"Yes, but we'll do it only if it suits you too" he took her chin and made her look at him. "What do you want?"

"I want whatever you want" She touched his face "I might call the Director of New York's branch."

"Well, I'd love to have you only for us, at least for a while, but I know you need to keep yourself busy. If you want to be relocated in NY is okay for me" he sighed "So…" he embraced her and leaned his chin in her shoulder "Are we moving to New York next year?" She nodded "What's that?" he asked, finally paying attention to the gadget in her hands.

"This… is a home pregnancy test"

James leaned to see the little white stick Helga was holding in her hand.

"Did you take it?" she nodded with a big smile "And what does it read?" he asked eagerly, taking her hand to see it closely.

Helga turned the device around and showed it to him.

"I took it when I ran to the bathroom before… you know… _before…_ " she pointed to the bed "But left it aside. I don't know if it worked because it reads nothing" she puffed, turned to see him "It is yellow and yellow is not a response" she reached for the box in the nightstand and put them side to side. "See? Maybe I did something wrong"

Then she looked at him again, showing disappointment.

"Maybe it was left aside for too long?"

. . .

"Maybe pink turns into yellow after a while?"

"Maybe three weeks into the pregnancy is too soon for a home test?"

They were in bed again, in their favorite position. She was enclosed in his arms and he spoke over her neck.

"You think so?" she asked.

"How do you feel? Three weeks, almost four isn't too soon to feel anything, is it?"

"I feel like I'm too heavy. And my breasts are itchy…" she complained but her gleeful voice betrayed her. "And I'm breathless most of the time… but you're right, maybe is too soon."

"Maybe is too soon for an appointment too…"

"Dr. Andrews must give us a proper answer. Even if is too soon."

"Do you want to know this soon? We could wait a week or two…"

"No, I want to know if I am expecting. I mean, I feel heavy and breathless… and I feel _weird,_ like I'm too tired the entire time. I don't know my own body anymore…" she puffed "Maybe I am getting old for this"

James chortled

"For God's sake, you're only thirty. You're perfect."

"Well, yeah, I want to be still young to raise our last kid; I don't want to be too old to run after him…"

"Or after her… What do you want this time? A baby boy or a girl?"

"How can you ask me that?" she punched him with the back of her hand and he kissed her neck.

"Mmmmmmm…. You smell like a baby," he kissed her earlobe "Maybe you really are pregnant"

"I smell like a baby?"

"You use to smell like a baby when you're pregnant… and you smell like a baby right now"

Helga exhaled loudly.

"Maybe we want to convince ourselves that we are pregnant. The problem is that if we're _not_ we're going to be down"

"We are not going to be down…" James spoke in her earlobe; enjoying her shivering. "If we are not pregnant we can always keep working on it" his hand followed the curve of her hip "I'd love to keep working on it. I'd love to try… and try… and try, until I impregnate you again"

"I thought we were going to sleep early tonight…"

"We can always sleep in tomorrow…"

"I wanted to steal Lydia from her bed early in the morning and sleep in with her in my arms"

"That would be nice. You want me to steal Robbie too?"

"I'd love it. But we need to put some clothes on before his arrival."

"It'd be a novelty to this bed but I have no problem with that"

He moaned with contentment. Everything was just peachy when she was in his arms. There were no fears. He continued kissing her shoulder and neck wishing she'd be actually pregnant. They'd know within days. Then exhaled, hugging her tighter. Maybe it was better not to know for a while, enjoying the unawareness. Taking some days for themselves before having the certitude that a new Brighton-Lewis was coming its way to DC… or to NY.

He hummed then. How would take Robbie the moving? He was about to start school here and they were going to uproot him after his first grade. The sooner the better, probably; he exhaled. Luckily Lydia was still too young to worry about that. And the new baby? If Helga was pregnant the baby would be born on December. It'd be cool. Robbie was born on November and Lydia on January. The new baby would be between them both. It seemed that they were consistent in their ' _habitudes'_.

"… so what do you think?"

"Huh?"

"You had that precious little head in the clouds again. I was asking you what do you want for your birthday"

"You mean you still don't have my birthday's present? You're a bad girl."

"I already have your present, you dummy, but my question was if there is something special you want to ask for this year?"

"You mean…" he smirked "…something kinky?"

"No, geek-bait! I mean, Criminy!" she turned over to see him "We've never needed a special date to get kinky."

"Well, we've never needed a birthday to cater ourselves with presents."

"Mmm, when you put it that way…" she hummed. He was happy to see that she was relaxed again, that she'd left her blues behind and they had cleared their lives of all pollution "But I mean, in all seriousness, what you would like as a present. If you could be absolutely selfish for just once in your life… not taking me or the kids, - not even your position and responsibilities in consideration… what would you ask as a present?"

"Did you forget we just bought the 458?" he reminded her.

She puffed, looking at him like if he was dumb.

"It's just machinery… What part of ' _SELFISH_ ' you didn't get?"

James chortled.

"The quarter million dollars' toy that is in the garage isn't selfish enough for you?"

"It's _a thing'_. I don't want to buy you just _a thing_ …. Well, actually I already bought you a thing; a little… thing… that I know you'll like, but what I mean is _something else_ , something beyond material stuff…" her voice changed. James realized her expression also turned serious "I mean, you're just about to turn forty-two. You just turn forty-two once in your life. I don't know if you also see it. It's not because it's forty-two; is not the number _per se_ … it's just that…" she turned to see him again "…that I love you. I really, really, really, _really_ love you. I love having you in my life; love knowing you're always there for us; that you _are_ with me; that we _are_ a family. Love to see that we are able of having this beautiful family together…. And that I also love our past; love that time when we lived back in Boston in that old, wet house that smelled like old times. Loved when we only saw each other on Sundays and missed each other like hell; love that we've always considered Hillwood Hills our refuge and Slausen's our favorite ice cream parlor in the whole world. I love us. I love you. And I want to give you a present that you never forget…"

 _Wasn't she the poet?_ He kissed the tip of her nose. How could he say she was the best of the presents without sounding cheesy?

"I never forget any of your presents…"

"I know… but I'm serious. I mean… maybe you want to go on a trip to … I don't know… Thailand… South Africa, Timbuktu, or the Arabic Spain…. Maybe you want to reach the peak of the Everest, or …"

" _God forbid!"_ he laughed.

"…go to a strip club…"

"A strip club?" he raised his brows.

"James…"

"You want me to go to a strip club? Aren't you the most understanding of the wives?"

"I mean it!" she said looking at him in the eye, her expression deadly serious.

"Look, I don't want to go and see some dancers, alright? I don't want to climb the Everest and I don't want to go to Timbuktu anytime soon…" Helga opened her lips to speak but he cut her off "… and…" he paused to wait for her to listen "… and I think I understand your meaning. You want to make this occasion to stand out; to make it something special" she nodded like a little girl and he smiled "Why, if may I ask you?"

"Why not?" She shrugged.

"Why not, huh? How can I fight that reasoning?" He hummed, entangling his legs with hers "Well… I tell you what… there's nothing up in my head right now; nothing I can came up this suddenly. It might be a couple of ideas up there but I'll give them a thought and I'll tell you later. How about that?" Helga nodded "Now, where were we?"

"I think we were getting to the second round…"

"Oh well, that's great" he gloated over the notion "I was humbly expecting you'd tell me what kept Inga worried"

"Oh, you meant that?" He nodded. He had become fond of the household affairs. Was that a sin? "It's nothing… hmm alright, it's almost a tragedy for her but she's better now. It seems that Heidi wants to leave college…" Helga bit her lip "I told her that she shouldn't make a fuss, maybe the girl's confused and only wants to change her career choice. I told her that happens to most students. We are too young when we made that choice …. Anyway, I promised we'll talk it over when she comes back for the summer."

"I guess she's also worried because the tuition, right?" Helga hummed "You told her there's no problem at all, right?"

"Yeah, I made sure she got it. She looked relieved though I don't know why if she already knows i. I also told her she could talk to you anytime. It's not use to be worried this long only because she's too ashamed to talk to you."

"I think she still doesn't like me."

"Nonsense" her voice was sleepy.

"You said she always thought you'd marry Arnold."

"Come on, James!" she puffed "Now?"

"Well, I know she liked Arnold and she's called me Arnold once or twice…" James chortled remembering the mortification of the woman.

"Go to sleep!"

"Do you ever think how'd be your life if you'd marry Arnold?" he asked after a well minute.

"Why are you asking me this?" Helga turned to see him again. "Arnold is married to a perfect girl, have a beautiful kid and he's profoundly happy…"

"That doesn't answer my question. Do you ever think how could be your life at his side?"

"No, I never think of that. I guess I'd be happy because it was what I wanted, but that was before you came to the picture, happy?" she mocked him "Then you arrived, you swept me off my feet, I married you and my life is so full of bliss that sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming. If you care so much, I think Inga is also okay with that, _and_ I think you're immensely satisfied too despite sometimes you act all weird. I don't know why you start to ask this sort of questions all of a sudden…"

"You know, it's that time of the day when your mind wanders and starts wondering weird stuff…"

"It seems we have time on our hands, huh? Time for vicious, idle thoughts. I think you need to go back to work. Elections are not stimulating your brain anymore or what?" she settled back in his arms.

"I love these periods but to be sincere they are always the same." He groaned "The same show played over and over as you said long ago…. People don't change, they love their spectacle."

"Maybe I should postulate myself for President next period" she chuckled "Would you support me?"

"Of course I'd do. It'd be exciting to work together…" he kissed her neck "To have Mrs. President in my bed." He hummed in her ear. She squirmed.

"You'd be my slave."

He snorted.

"I _am_ your slave"

"That's funny. I always thought I _was_ your slave, not the other way around" she giggled "… but maybe you're right. I'm the boss."

"I'm always right -ask anyone- and yeah, you're the boss; just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold." He tightened his arms around her "You know what?" he asked after a while. She hummed in response "I think I got it"

"You got what, my beautiful servant?"

He smiled.

"I got my wish."

He felt her reacting, and then turning over to see him again.

"Really?" she had that bright and breathtaking smile in her face.

He nodded, mirroring her smile.

"I want you."

She frowned, her eyes tickling.

"But you already have me."

"I want you to myself. One whole day, only to myself"

"One whole day?" she straightened to lean on her elbows.

"Well, two days. I'd choose the whole week if possible, but I'm content with two days"

She was biting her lip.

"What exactly are you talking about? You mean you want to go out?"

"I mean having you, only to myself, for a couple of days. Let's go somewhere, wherever you want. Only you and me."

"But… the kids…"

"I know you've been absent but it hasn't to be right away. It could be next week, after my birthday. My parents could come to stay at home while we are at it…" he saw excitement and culpability in her eyes at the same time "Look, we're having another baby. Getting time for ourselves will be harder and harder, and will be no problem at all on my side, I promise, but I'd love spending some time with you. Only you and me. What do you think?"

"I don't know…"

"I thought you were being serious. You seemed eager to please me…"

She exhaled.

"I am, but I'll feel guilty if I leave the kids again."

"Don't be. It'd be over in a blink."

"You know your parents won't be in town next week…"

'We could wait for their return"

"But they plan…" she smiled sadly "Please don't think I don't want to go out with you. I feel guilty, but I know you're right. We'll be busier and busier…" She exhaled again "Alright, I'm in. Let's plan this out and I'm sure we can make it work. We'll go wherever you want."

"Really?"

"Really" she smiled brightly "You choose the destination."

"Anywhere is okay. The question is when."

"You know? Miriam and Bob said they'll be coming over on May, remember? I guess they don't mind to come sooner."

"O-okay. That'd be great. I daresay they'd be happy to come over ASAP. And, the kids love them."

"Yep. The kids love them" Helga bit her lip again "But I warn you. You can't slip away this time. After our return you are going to take Bob to fish. You owe him."

"I know." James grunted. "We could bring Robbie along… maybe dad…"

"Robbie is okay but your dad is not" Helga stated sternly "You know they are always competing for Robbie's love and attention; to ' _make clear'_ who he was named after."

"And who was he named after?" James pecked her lips. "Your Bob or my dad?"

"His dad of course" she sighed "Remember that hot guy who used to clean the pool years ago?"

" _Geez, Helga!"_ James snorted "You can't be serious for once, can you?"

"I am serious…" she threw her arms around his neck "I am so crazy about you."

He gave in her embrace, in her lips, wondering who was the craziest. It was hard to tell when he knew he always gave in to the warmness of her body, into her spell, without exception. He moaned in her lips. But he also knew that once he started to seduce her she could never resist him, ever; she lost her will before him, every time, with no exception.

"Where will we go?" she asked between her kisses.

"I don't know… Mmm… To the cabin in Vermont?"

"Your mother said Edward was planning to go there."

"To the beach?" she let out a long grunt "To see the Great Canyon? To get our kicks on Route 66?"

"It's too far… and I'd like to take the kids over there"

"Hillwood then? To visit Arnold, meet his kid?"

"Mmm… going to Hillwood will take more than two days… and I don't feel like visiting people. Only us two, remember?"

"Maybe we need more days"

"Maybe…" she drew back to see his eyes "Look, let's say two days… but we could call home and if everything is alright we'll take another day… maybe, huh?"

"You're the boss." he kissed her again and made her roll over.

"We're taking the 458, right?"

"That's the idea… why?"

"We could just hit the road… to drive all day long… to go wherever the road takes us: South Caroline, West Virginia, Delaware…"

"Mmm… I guess… In fact that's a great idea, love."

 _"Nein"_ she grunted. "That _was_ a great idea"

"Was? Why _?"_

"Let's wait to see what George has to say when he knows. After what happened at the mall he's gonna say is an unnecessary risk."

James shook his head. An isolated incident wasn't going to spoil the tour. And nothing happened fortunately; it only showed that the team could face everything.

"Well, he can always choose a partner or two, take the M5 and follow us."

"You think so?" she bit her lip.

"Why not? In fact, I'm gonna let everything in his hands. I'll ask him to plan it out. Let him to choose route, highway, hotel, destination…. He'll be on charge, He's gonna be so excited that you won't hear a complaint. "

Helga looked at him with respect.

"You're a genius." She caressed his jaw, then inhaled deeply. "So you talk George into the trip and I call the Patakis. This is really what you want?"

"I couldn't ask for anything better"

"Oh, James" she giggled, rubbing her nose against his "I'm so happy."

"I love to see you happy."

"Are you happy too?" she blinked.

"You really need to ask?" He kissed her lips "I love you… and you're here now." He embraced her with vehemence "God! How I missed you!

. . .

* * *

 **TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS LATER**

* * *

. . .

It was another celebration party what brought him over… well, what brought the party of three over, back to Hillwood. The planned schedule was this event, visiting parents and in-laws, and then going to do some tourism around the Three State Area before heading back to California where their house and jobs awaited. It was July, the mid of the summer; and today was Saturday early afternoon.

The celebration was no other than Phoebe and Gerald's wedding.

It wasn't as it was a complete surprise. In fact, Brian was sure that it was doomed to happen. Gerald and Phoebe had been seeing each other furtively here and there through the years. Then Phoebe had returned to town a couple of years ago and they started to go out _officially_ , though Phoebe continued reluctant to put a name to their relationship. Unexpectedly she got pregnant. And still she refused to marry. But facing too much insistence wore down her resistance and she ended giving in. Brian thought it was probably seeing all the domestic happiness displayed around her was what made her to budge.

 _Seeing all domestic the happiness around.._.

Brian smiled embracing his wife as they danced. Almost everyone was dancing now. Stinky and Sarah; the Groom and the Bride; Arnold and Natalie…. Those who weren't dancing were looking after their kids. Brain almost laughed turning to the playground again. How many kids were around there? Fifteen? Twenty? _Thirty?_ The older ones weren't in the playground but looking for a way to create havoc by the end of the garden.

A couple of songs later Helen and he left the canopy that worked as danced floor to go to meet the gang. As they were in their way to their table they stopped at the vision in front of them; Helen swooned. The little girl walking by was holding a lavender balloon with white ribbons -the weddings colors- which matched her impossibly wide tutu dress. Brian couldn't resist her and taking advantage of his status as her _uncle_ , took her up in his arms. He had seen her only once, the previous summer, and she was still a small baby.

The girl didn't let out a sound. So here she was, the youngest of the clan, as quiet and untalkative as her fame dictated. She only looked at him with a hint of reserve that hid the natural curiosity of a baby her age.

"She took after her mom, right?" Helen asked "What is your name, honey?" she spoke to the baby. The girl held in her haughty carriage that was undeniably her father heritage.

Brian hummed not knowing what to say. One could say Lydia was the one who looked just like her mom with her big blue eyes and light blonde hair but Lydia has James facial features.

But this little one?

Alex also had light blonde hair and big eyes, but hers were of a velvety olive green that showed a strange mix of cleverness and aloofness at the same time. She also had Helga's nose and, of course _,_ the Patakis trademark.

"I don't know…" he said sincerely lost. The young eyes stopped observing his wife to look at him again "Some pretty eyes you have there, huh?" he whistled "I so want them. Nom nom nom…"

Alex's thick brow got raised in a disdainful gesture.

"You are so your father's daughter!" Helen laughed shaking her head, then took the girl's head in her hands and kissed her temple.

The girl grunted then and wriggled in his arms and Brian let her on her feet again. He knew rather well the impatient blood running through her veins to dare to test his luck any longer. Helen rearranged her fluffy dress.

"Well, now I'm kinda concerned…" seeing the girl walking off, he turned to his wife and mother of his two-and a half years old son "Where are her parents?"

"Come on, it's a family thing," Helen dismissed him "But if you're so concerned, Helga is under the shadow over there, giving away recommendations to the soon-to-be mothers due to her vast experience…" Helen pointed the canopy where effectively Helga could be seen talking to Rhonda and Phoebe "And James… mmm… I don't know where he is right now but he was over there talking to Sid and Gerald's brother a minute ago and seeing us admiring his daughter."

"And where is Alex?" Brian turned around looking for the small blonde who had disappeared into the crowd.

"Where is your kid? That's what you should ask…" Helen scoffed "…because you do not have a handsome guy looking after him"

 _A handsome guy, mmphmm_! Brian grunted, looking around. Helen was right. Right there he was; a very bulky and blond guardian watching closely the two small girls in white and lavender who were accompanied by Heather Peterson now, Stinky's youngest daughter. Sauntering a bit behind them was Ben, his blond son, along with Massimo Gifaldi and Little Phil Shortman, who were his son's age, it meant between two or three years old.

. .

Looking around again Brian smirked. Phoebe and Gerald's wedding was turning out to be one of the most festive and eclectic events he'd attended. People of all ages, races, religions and interests were present. Old ladies, mature couples like the parents of the newlyweds and the Patakis. People his age, _a lot._ Gerald's friends from his executive club, clients, coworkers. Phoebe's friends from her research, academic entourage. Almost the whole gang and their kids, lots of kids of all ages.

Brian was happy to see this wedding finally taking place; to see that Phoebe had succumbed to the _pressure of society_ when she found herself heavy with child. It was probably a happy accident but she certainly couldn't look happier. Six months into her pregnancy and this beautiful white and lavender wedding that was taking place at midday in the fashionable Sunny Gardens. All the girls of the gang including his wife were bridesmaids and Helga was the Maid of Honor. Her dress has a lighter shade of lavender, like her daughters'.

Gerald, on the other side, was the happy groom with Arnold as his Best Man. Adjusting his glasses, Brian remembered Helen called it ' _one of the last weddings in the gang'_. According to her it was the reason why all the girls were so eager to be bridesmaids. Most of them were already married. Well, Nadine was still single but she was apparently waiting for Peapod Kid to get through with his elongated divorce; and Sheena was still indecisive about going formal with her new boyfriend. Brian smiled. Even Eugene was a married man now. The only one sad note in the group was that Lila and Sid seemed to be experiencing problems.

.

Brian continued deep in thoughts as he absorbed the surroundings. A party was one of the best scenarios to get all kind of information. Seeing the waving motion of a multitude, for instance; seeing people's behavior individually; seeing himself in the middle of the mass…

Hillwood is a great place to live, he was convinced. Helen and he were considering moving back next summer; the final decision would be taken after this trip. Seeing the gang as a well-integrated group of friends was probably the principal factor. A group of friends like this you couldn't find at every corner. After all it was a great advantage to live in close community with those who are your friends, who you love and love you back.

Besides, there was a bunch of kids who could befriend Ben. The oldest of those kids were around nine and the first was Todd Berman followed by Julian Petersen, to whom Brian could see right now under the oak with a bunch of balloons, apparently plotting a scheme. Then it was Robbie who carried very well his eight years, and who was at this very moment surrounded by Donna, Britney and an unknown girl with red hair. Donna was Sheena's girl; Britney was Stinky's middle daughter.

Then it was Lydia coming at the head of the baby boomers. Lydia was three and a half years old. According to Brian, a fever to become parents settled into the group after the appearance of a very pregnant Helga at Rhonda and Thad's engagement party. Within the following year a bunch of kids were born. Starting with his and Helen: Ben, an -of course- handsome kid with blond hair and blue eyes; Arnold and Natalie's Little Phil who has dark brown hair like her mother and green jellybean eyes and the distinctive football-shaped head of his father; Lila and Sid's son, Massimo, who was the spitting image of his father at his age; and then the cute Heather Petersen; Stinky's youngest daughter.

Then they were several kids that Brian hadn't come to know very well and who were sons and / or daughters of Iggy, Lorenzo, Phil, Wolfgang and Joey. Then it was Alex, who was eighteen months old and was the youngest of the bunch until the arrival of the soon- to- be- born; Phoebe and Rhonda's kids, a girl and a boy respectively.

. . .

The wedding went on. Everyone danced and everyone chatted and the kids seemed to be having a good time.

Brian reached the canopy. He sat in front of the settee where Helga was installed. Alex was asleep in her arms while Harold was trying to get a hold of a restless Lydia. _'I wish you luck with that_ ', thought the observant blond. As far as he knew, the girl wasn't easy. Robbie came over to kiss his mother and complained in low grumbles. Helga held him long enough to soothe him mumbling sweet words to his ear. After a while he went off; he didn't seemed too convinced but give a nod and smiled with resignation before flying. Helga saw him go and then directed a curious stare to the group of girls who weren't discreet while following him. The bunch had enlarged considerably since the last time Brian saw them.

 _"Some guys have all the luck…"_ Brian hummed the old song. "What?" He asked noticing the blonde eyes on him. "I like the song" he uttered aloud and Helga only shook her head, smiling condescendingly from her throne.

"Helga, help me! … Tell Lydia to come with Uncle Harold!"

"Do you want to go with your Uncle Harold, honey?" asked Helga to her girl.

"No! No!" the girl shoved Harold and ran to her mother. Helga chortled as she dealt to help the girl to get to her lap.

"Sorry Harold, but I can't force her…" she huffed and puffed and then chortled "And this is how you end when you get pregnant the very next year" She said to nobody particularly were the two girls were perched over her, and the ex-bully ended buried under yards and yards of lavender tulle.

"You know Helga?" Harold started with his derisive scorn and nagging voice "You're lucky your kids took after James and not after you."

"Harold!" a couple of voices rose admonishing him.

"Look who's talking!" Patty laughed.

"Hey!" Helga spoke cheerfully "They said they look like me too!"

"Well, - maybe … a touch of you here and there… but Robbie is the spitting image of his father. And maybe Alex's eyebrow looks like your ugly caterpillar and Lydia's ears resemble your billy goats, but the girls are really pretty."

Helga looked at him with a scornful smirk that had come to equal her husband's. _'Billy goat ears and whatnot but you were crazy about me!'_ Brian guessed were her thoughts. He smiled and as most of the presents threw his two cents to the conversation and were laughing. As far as he remember, almost every one of the guys in the gang was crazy about Helga at some point of their lives. But those were the good old days.

He felt a presence at his side and turned to see James coming in.

"What did I miss?" he asked him.

Brian chortled.

"Helga was telling us she married you only for your looks."

"Is that true, honey?" he asked his wife as he took Alex from Helga arms and got seated at her right. "My mother warned me, you know?" he shrugged his shoulders turning to him "She always said I'd be a trophy husband."

"Tell me about it." Brian chortled and leaned to pat his back with empathy "So sorry, mate"

" _Some guys have all the pain,_ huh, Brainy?" Helga mocked him singing the next verse of the aforementioned song while leaning into her husband's embrace. "And you… zero complaints or you'll see at home" she pretended to scold James while showing a playful smile.

Brian turned around, giving them some privacy to continue their playful banter. It always ended the same way; both of them pleasantly cuddled against each other. He observed around, looking at everybody, wishing to live already in here.

. . .

Mr. Simmons was invited after being seen back in town. He was right now in the center of the group, bringing back memories for all of them to share. Every now and then Brian saw him directing thoughtful eyes to most of the ex-fourth graders who were in his class. To a beautifully pregnant Rhonda always accompanied by Thad. To the equally resplendent couple formed by Phoebe and Gerald; to him, Helen and his son; to Patty and Harold; Sid and Lila… It was him or his deepest frowns were directed to Helga and her eminent husband, and to Arnold and the sparkling Natalie, then to him again.

Brian shook his head. With all certitude, Mr. Simmons always knew all too well about Helga's infatuation with Arnold… and his own with Helga… and Harold's, Curly's and everybody else's. He chortled to himself, winning the curious stare of his son. He shook his head reassuringly, leaning to kiss him. How silly of them to think nobody realized what they were up to in the old days, let alone an adult who was besides, their dedicated professor.

Brian raised his sight to find the one of the old professor fixed on him. He smiled to him. What a person like him, one who came to know them very well, would think of the actual thirty-two, thirty three years old gang? Would he find them successful? Would he find them some losers? Would he be proud of them?

"Hey Brian!"

. . .

Brian was coming to the shadowed canopy again after talking to Iggy. It was getting late and he wanted to know if his wife was ready to go. His son had been warned to be ready within minutes. There were a bunch of reunions programmed for the next week. Rhonda's dinner would be the most important, to not lose the habit. Helga invited the girls and their kids to a garden tea party on Thursday's afternoon; Sid said his parents would love to have them all one evening at The Coffee Shed, the place was very popular nowadays and had a well-earned reputation as a hipsters place due in part to their old gatherings. Everyone scoffed with skepticism. They were no hipsters. There were no hipsters in their time. Go figures!

It was until Mr. Simmons said maybe they were the beginners; the 'proto-hipsters'.

"Wilikers!" was heard from a corner "I insist. I am not a darn hipster."

"I'd never guessed you liked hipsters" he mumbled to his wife's ear. Helen rolled her eyes.

"Don't start..." she puffed "I think it's time to go, just let me say good bye."

. . .

He was supposedly keeping an eye on Ben as Helen still was saying goodbye twenty minutes later. He was also keeping an eye on Little Phil and Massimo as they were making the most of their time together while their parents gave out their farewells and best wishes as well. Then the kids did a handshake that strangely resembled the 'secret handshake' Arnold and Gerald used to do back in the old days. Brian remained there seeing Little Phil going on his business as Massimo went off with his parents.

Little Phil resembled Arnold as a kid. A lot.

"Go to play with Arnold" he said to his boy. Little Phil raised his sight to look at him, probably realizing he just had made a mistake by calling him by his father's name; still, the kind boy smiled and got close only to get Ben hiding behind his legs. His boy was introverted, he had already accepted it. "He's kinda shy," he said to the brown haired kid, the kid nodded and went off. Brian frowned. _Hasn't he seen Ben walking with Massimo and Little Phil not long ago?_

He shrugged it off and turned around. The group was smaller and he got close. Helen, Phoebe, Helga and Natalie were apparently delaying their departures. ' _It's never enough time'_ , Helen used to say when she had a coffee with her group of friends. Helga was telling some girly joke and Brian turned around, ashamed, suddenly realizing he was the only guy around. The remaining guys were Gerald and James and they were in the opposite side of the canopy and Arnold who was coming his way over.

Suddenly, by the corner of his eye he saw a blur of lavender that got his attention; then a shriek and a very clear and childish yell:

" _Move it, Football Head!"_

The yell called all the women's attention.

Brian blinked. He turned just in time to see Lydia pushing past a stunned looking Little Phil and vanishing behind a post covered by bushes.

He turned to see Helga. Whatever she was about to say died in her lips.

" _Crap!"_ was all she could articulate, almost inaudibly. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth agape. Phoebe and Helen burst out with laugh and Natalie only stood there, dumbfounded. Helga directed an apologetic look to Natalie. Arnold was now there, looking completely unaware of what was going on.

"What happened?"

He shrugged.

"Cycles?" he risked.

Helga pushed past them and Brian followed her, amused. The laughing of the girls encouraged him. He felt like bugging her.

"You think you can cheat destiny." He whispered behind her. Helga held her breath. She halted and turned to look at him with angry eyes. Then pulled him by his tie and was about to speak when another smack and a thud came from the girl's hideout.

 _"Stop chasing me!"_

Lydia left her spot, turning to look behind the bushes as if she were cursing the dirt of her shoes. Brian hurried to the spot with a heavy feeling in his stomach. When he reached the place his mind went blank.

Helga reached his side holding Lydia securely in her arms.

"' _You think you can cheat destiny,_ huh _?"_ A wry sneer appeared in her lips as she shook her head. "God has a twisted sense of humor."

There, lying on his back, with a goofy smile playing on his lips and a red nose was no other than Ben. Brian shook his head. He should have known. His kid opened his eyes to look at the pretty little blonde almost with veneration.

Phoebe reached them then. A huge, tickled smile adorning her face.

"What is it?" she asked caressing Lydia's flushed cheeks "Hey Arnold Reloaded?"

 **FIN**

* * *

 **.**

 **I don't own Hey Arnold!**

 **I don't own 458, M5, Rod Stewart's 'Some Guys Have All the Luck' or any other TM mentioned here.**

 **Only own the plot and the OC.**

 **I'll come to fix typos later.**

 **And I want to thank you all for being here and especially to those who review or mark my stories as follow/favorite. Thanks to José Ramiro, AmethystSapphires, Nep2uune, One Fire Wire, Anonymous Latina, Buttercup da toughest fighter, DaBlackVegeta and three guests. You guys are amazing. Your reviews make my day and brighten my week.**

 **Reviews are welcome and invariably responded.**

 **02/03/2014.**

 **11/09/2015.**

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